- Alexander Zverev was eliminated from Wimbledon following a grueling match lasting four hours and 40 minutes.
- The German player lost with scores of 7–6, 6–7, 6–3, 6–7, 6–4 against France's Arthur Rinderknech.
A brutally honest Sascha Zverev called himself drained, lacking happiness, and in need of counseling after being knocked out of Wimbledon to relatively unknown French player Arthur Rindkneckh.
As the 29-year-old champion celebrated with a dramatic belly flop on Centre Court, third-seeded Zverev poured out his emotions after losing in a grueling five-set match.
I’ve never experienced such emptiness before. It’s like joy is missing, not just in tennis but beyond it," he shared. When asked whether he would think about seeking therapy, he responded, "Perhaps for the very first time in my life, I might actually need it.
Zverev lost 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 over four hours and 40 minutes—the longest match at the tournament so far—in a major upset.
This month, his opponent celebrates turning 30 and had never before advanced beyond the opening round at Wimbledon, yet managed not to lose service against the three-time Grand Slam runner-up.
After clinching his fourth match point, Rinderknech said to the audience: "I'm still trembling from excitement."
On the other hand, Zverev suggested that the stress from off-court issues—stemming from accusations of violence and domestic abuse—had begun to affect him, despite his consistent denial of the claims and the dismissal of a related court case in Berlin last year.
He remarked on Tuesday evening, "I’ve faced numerous challenges in the media. Overall, I’ve encountered many hardships in life."
Even during my wins in tournaments like Stuttgart or Halle, I didn’t always feel the same joy or excitement as before—like being thrilled or super motivated to push forward.
It’s simply not present for me at the moment, which is actually the first time in my life I’ve ever felt this way.
I don’t believe tennis is my main issue at this point. There’s another aspect I need to discover inside myself currently.
It's hard for me to explain because I don’t know the answer at this moment.
Earlier this year, during a tournament in Munich, Zverev was taunted by an audience member about the accusations and requested that the person be removed.
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