"It's something that happens to everyone," Rublev responds to Zverev's comments on mental health
Eliminated early by Arthur Rinderknech at Wimbledon, Alexander Zverev appeared at a press conference afterward and admitted he wasn’t feeling his best, while conceding that he might need therapy to address his mental health struggles.
"I lack joy in everything I do. It’s not just about tennis. I lack joy outside of tennis too. Even when I win matches in Stuttgart or Halle, it’s not the same feeling I had before.
I was happy and felt motivated to keep going. This is the first time in my life I’ve felt this way," he said. In recent hours, Andrey Rublev has come to the defense of the German, the world No. 3.
After his second-round victory over Lloyd Harris, the Russian—who has openly discussed his own prolonged period of depression in recent years—reflected on Zverev’s strong words following his early exit on the London grass this week.
"To be honest, it’s a feeling that has nothing to do with tennis. You can find excuses, like saying you’re exhausted or mentally tired from playing nonstop, over and over, but in truth, it has nothing to do with tennis.
In the end, tennis is just the starting point for all of this. It’s something inside yourself that you have to deal with, but it’s something that happens to everyone.
Sascha (Zverev) loves tennis, Casper (Ruud, absent from Wimbledon due to a knee injury) does too, and so do many other players. Those who don’t love tennis are more relaxed.
They don’t really care because they might have other priorities, but for those who love tennis, it’s the trigger for this whole situation. You can tell Sascha or someone else to take a break, but it’ll be hard for him because he loves playing.
For Casper, it’s not easy either. Maybe a little more now because it’s the grass season, but taking a break isn’t easy for him. I’m sure he’s still training regardless.
It’s not as simple as saying, ‘I’ll take a break and lie on the beach.’ I’m certain he’s preparing. So, yes, like I said, it has nothing to do with tennis, but we’ve all been through it," explained Rublev, the world No. 14, to *Punto De Break*.
