Novak Djokovic has offered his support to Alexander Zverev after the German revealed his mental health struggles upon departing Wimbledon.
“I’ve never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy, just lacking joy in everything that I do,” Zverev said. “It’s not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis, as well.
“I don’t think tennis is the problem right now for me. It’s something else that I have to find within me at the moment. But something within me has to change, which is not necessarily on the tennis court.
“It’s funny, I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally. It’s difficult to find joy outside the tennis court for me at the moment.
The world No. 3 reached the final of the Australian Open at the start of this year, losing to Jannik Sinner, before going on to win the Bavarian Championships and finishing runner-up at the Stuttgart Open in June.
“Even when I’m winning, even when I’m winning like in Stuttgart or Halle, it’s not necessarily a feeling that I used to get where I was happy, over the moon, I felt motivated to keep going,” Zverev continued.
“It’s just not there right now for me, which, again, is the first time in my life which I’m feeling.”
The 38-year-old extended his support to Zverev after his 6-3 6-2 6-0 win over Brit Dan Evans on Thursday.
“We had the chance after our training session here before Wimbledon about some technical stuff on the court. He was asking me and I was sharing with him. He knows he can always reach out to me,” said Djokovic.
“I understand exactly what he’s going through because I’ve been through that many times where you feel empty or less joy or less happiness playing, where you’re not delivering the kind of results on court that you’re looking for.
“It’s all part of the process. You can’t always feel your best.”
Zverev had played 15 tournaments this season before arriving in SW19 and Djokovic recommended that he “take a break”, adding that mental health should be a topic that is discussed more in tennis.
“He’s one of the players that’s been playing a lot this year in terms of his calendar,” said Djokovic.
“Maybe he’s just overwhelmed with so many tournaments and everything. Maybe he needs to take a break and refresh his mind. Him and his family know best. I empathise with him.
“I know mental health is a topic that hasn’t been much talked about in the tennis world before. But I think it deserves more attention.
“I salute the players who have the courage to come out and speak about that. I definitely wish him all the best. If he needs me, I’m here.”
