New York (AFP) – World number three Alexander Zverev says he’s “on the right path” heading into the US Open after leaning on friends and professional help to address mental health concerns he revealed at Wimbledon. The German said after his first-round exit at the All England Club that he felt “alone” and “empty” and “lacking joy in everything that I do.”
But the 28-year-old said Friday that he was in a much better place as he prepares once again to vie for a first Grand Slam title in the final major of the year. “Oh, I’m feeling a lot better,” Zverev said. “After Wimbledon (I) put my racket down and took extended time off and I went on holidays with my friends where I didn’t train, didn’t play tennis, didn’t do anything to what I usually do. I went and had some time off. Spent a lot of time with my friends. Got professional help also, which I’m still working with now. Yeah, I’m on the right path.”
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Zverev said he could feel the difference when he returned to action at the ATP Toronto Masters and the Cincinnati Open, reaching the semi-finals at both. “I really enjoyed the last two tournaments. I really enjoyed being back on the tennis court,” he said. “I feel like everything is going in the right direction, and I’m very happy to be here right now.”
Zverev has come up empty in three Grand Slam finals, including a loss to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open. He fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 Roland Garros final and to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open this year. “I’m looking for the last step, right,” Zverev said. “I’m looking to lift one of those above my head once. That’s what I’m looking for.”
To that end, he turned to retired Spanish great Rafael Nadal and his uncle Toni Nadal in the wake of his Wimbledon disappointment, hoping to come up with some improvements that can help him challenge top-ranked Sinner and Alcaraz. “It’s about finding ways to beat the best players in the world, right?” Zverev said. “It’s about finding the right patterns, the right training to do that. That’s why I went to see Uncle Toni and Rafa, because I wanted to see and then hear a new vision of what tennis in their mind looks like and how my tennis in their mind looks like. I think in tennis everybody can always improve,” Zverev said. “It’s as simple as that.”
© 2024 AFP
