Novak Djokovic is known for being one of the most mentally tough players on the tour. But even he has admitted in the past, “I might appear locked in, but there is a storm inside. The biggest battle is always raging inside.” That quote feels especially relevant now, after Alexander Zverev’s emotional confession at Wimbledon. The German recently revealed he feels “very alone” and is “lacking joy,” following his shock first-round loss to Arthur Rinderknech. Now, Novak Djokovic has offered his heartfelt support to Zverev.
Zverev’s defeat came as part of a wider collapse by several top seeds on Tuesday. It also extended a rough patch that began after his loss to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final in January. Since then, Zverev has had some solid results, but he hasn’t been able to find consistent rhythm. That loss to Sinner was his third Grand Slam final defeat, and despite all his talent, he still hasn’t broken through. As Andy Roddick once said, he’s the best player to never win a Slam.
Djokovic was asked about Zverev’s comments after his win over Dan Evans. The 38-year-old didn’t hesitate to show support. “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,” said Djokovic.
The Serbian added, “He’s one of the players that’s been playing a lot this year in terms of his calendar. 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 empathize 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.”
Novak Djokovic on Zverev saying he feels empty and alone in his life, ‘I understand exactly what he’s going through because I’ve been through that many times’
“Sascha and I have a great relationship. I like him a lot as a person. We talk quite a bit actually about tennis and… pic.twitter.com/4OpP7zOtRz
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 3, 2025
Novak Djokovic isn’t the only one standing in solidarity.
Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz and more offer support along with Novak Djokovic
After her second-round win over Marie Bouzkova, Aryna Sabalenka offered Zverev some heartfelt advice. The World No.1 also shared that she has seen a therapist for five years.”It’s really important to be open and to talk about what you’re experiencing, because if you’re going to keep it inside, it’s just going to destroy you. I think that’s something happening to (Zverev). He just needs to open up to whoever is close to him … people who can accept whatever you’re dealing with. The moment you start talk about your problems, you start realizing a lot of things. It helps to solve them,” she said.
Andrey Rublev has had his own highly visible battles with emotion on court. After his emotional outbursts on court, he revealed his struggles with depression. The Russian’s been candid about the toll the sport can take. He pointed out that tennis is a very small part of the trigger and said, “To be honest, it has nothing to do with tennis. It’s about the same thing. It’s just that you can find excuses like you’re exhausted or mentally tired of playing non-stop, non-stop, but it has nothing to do with tennis. In the end, tennis is just the trigger point.”
Carlos Alcaraz also shared his experience of feeling low, even while playing at the top level. When asked about Zverev’s comments, the Spaniard opened up and said, “I’ve felt down a lot of times on the court and in tournaments. I’m just really happy to have found the right path again and such good joy on the court. For me, it is not about winning or losing. For me, it’s about having fun playing tennis, have fun stepping on court. Not thinking about the result. It’s just living in the moment.”
For Alexander Zverev, the focus now shifts to rediscovering his happiness both on and off the court. Before chasing that elusive Slam, he’ll need to work through what’s happening beneath the surface.
The post Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic Offers Support to ATP Star Facing Mental Health Struggles: ‘If He Needs Me’ appeared first on EssentiallySports.
