By News18
When Naomi Osaka candidly discussed her struggles with anxiety and depression at the 2021 French Open, it ignited a significant dialogue within the sports community and society at large about mental health and the necessity of addressing these issues.
Since then, more athletes have openly spoken about their mental health and sought help, diminishing any previous taboos. However, Alexander Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, reignited the conversation with his remarks about his mental state following a first-round defeat at Wimbledon this week.
鈥淚 feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally. I鈥檓 trying to find ways to kind of get out of this hole. I keep kind of finding myself back in it in a way,鈥 said Zverev, who finished as the runner-up at the Australian Open in January but faced a challenging season that prevented him from surpassing Jannik Sinner for the No. 1 ranking.
Alexander Zverev expressed a feeling of isolation at Wimbledon, stating, 鈥淚 feel, generally speaking, quite alone in life at the moment, which is a feeling that is not very nice. It鈥檚 not a feeling on a tennis court, it鈥檚 just a life feeling in general.鈥
Players at the All England Club were asked on Wednesday about Zverev鈥檚 comments. Some empathised, while others offered advice.
Amanda Anisimova, who reached the French Open semifinals as a teenager in 2019 and took a break due to burnout two years ago, has since returned and advanced to the third round at Wimbledon with a win on Wednesday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tricky. Every one of us goes through something at some point in our lives. We have our bouts of negative times. It honestly takes some self-reflecting, figuring out what鈥檚 going wrong, or how I can create a lifestyle that I enjoy. I feel like there are so many factors. For me, personally, it was finding people that I could confide in and whom I trusted. People that I could talk to,鈥 Anisimova explained.
鈥淎lex talked about feeling lonely 鈥 a lot of people struggle with being lonely, especially on the pro circuit,鈥 she added, noting that taking a break from tour life 鈥渞eally helped me and I鈥檓 happy I did that, because I came back with a new perspective, felt refreshed, and I feel like I learned a lot about myself.鈥
Wimbledon athletes discussed the importance of therapy for mental health support
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, a three-time major champion, revealed that she worked with a therapist for five years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to talk openly about whatever you鈥檙e dealing with. 鈥 It鈥檚 really important to be open and to talk about what you are experiencing, because if you keep it inside, it鈥檚 just going to destroy you. I think that鈥檚 kind of like something happening to him,鈥 Sabalenka said. 鈥淚 think (Zverev) just needs to open up to whoever is close to him.鈥
At the Australian Open, Madison Keys, who won the title, spoke about how therapy helped her achieve greater happiness and success in tennis, a sport where losses are common and expectations can be overwhelming.
鈥淥ur identity becomes very wrapped up in being a tennis player. That鈥檚 great, but when you have tough weeks, months, or years on tour, that can take a toll on how you view yourself as a person,鈥 Keys, a 30-year-old American, remarked on Wednesday.
鈥淪o being able to dive into that and figure out how to separate the two and know that you鈥檙e not just a tennis player, you鈥檙e a whole person with many great attributes, interests, and different aspects in your life.鈥
When a reporter asked the No. 3-seeded Zverev after his loss to unseeded Arthur Rinderknech on Tuesday whether he would consider therapy, the 28-year-old German responded: 鈥淔or the first time in my life, I鈥檒l probably need it.鈥
He described his current mindset as follows: 鈥淚鈥檝e never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy, lacking joy in everything that I do. It鈥檚 not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis, as well.鈥
Andrey Rublev, a 10-time Slam quarterfinalist from Russia who is seeded 14th at Wimbledon, commented after his win on Wednesday that life on tour itself is not the primary issue for someone like Zverev.
鈥淭ennis is just the trigger point,鈥 Rublev said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something inside of you that you need to face.鈥
With AP Inputs