Aryna Sabalenka has responded to Alexander Zverev’s emotional Wimbledon interview after reaching the third round.
The Belarusian overcame a really tricky opponent in Maria Bouzkova, who actually served for the first set but failed to convert.
In the end, it was the fiery yet composed fighter who then soared to a straight-set victory, typifying the explosive control she has become renowned for over the last few years.
Her mental transformation deserves so much praise, and is something that Alexander Zverev seemingly is in desperate need of.
Aryna Sabalenka responds to Alexander Zverev’s emotional Wimbledon interview
Asked to give her thoughts on therapists and the mental health aspect in tennis, Aryna Sabalenka was characteristically and refreshingly open.
She stated: ‘I had a therapist for like 5 years. I stopped working, maybe in 2022. It’s actually crazy to hear from someone like Alexander because he surrounded himself with his family.
‘I think it’s really important to talk openly about whatever you’re dealing with. Especially if you have your family, you can say whatever you feel to your family. It’s really important to be open and talk about whatever you’re experiencing. If you’re gonna keep it inside, it’s just gonna destroy you. I think that’s something that’s happening to him.
‘I think he just needs to open up to whoever is close to him. Family is the best… people who can accept whatever you’re dealing with. The moment you start to talk about your problems, you start realising a lot of things. It helps to solve them. I think he just has to be a bit more open. Not only to himself but open to his family, team, so everyone is aware of what’s going on through his mind. That’s the most important.
‘Me, with my team, we always talk a lot. That’s why I don’t need a therapist. I have my team. We talk about whatever. I know they’re not gonna judge me. They’re not gonna blame me. They’re just gonna accept it and we’re gonna work through. This is the best advice I can give to Sascha.’
What Alexander Zverev said about his Wimbledon exit
This was in response to what Zverev said following his shock first-round exit at Wimbledon on Tuesday, who took to the media room wholeheartedly downbeat.
The German had been beaten across five sets against Arthur Rinderknech, a player he should, on paper, have swept aside.
And whilst this is a sport that never follows rules, these kinds of disappointments happen all too often for a player of Zverev’s calibre.
John Isner outlined the big mistake he thinks Zverev made ahead of Wimbledon which contributed to his shock defeat, but there’s clearly something much deeper going on.
These consistent underperformances take their toll, as he noted: ‘I’ve never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy, outside of tennis as well.’ Then asked if he’d consider therapy to solve this issue, he replied: ‘Maybe for the first time in my life I’ll probably need it.’
The 28-year-old continued: ‘I’ve been through a lot of difficulties in the media. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties in life generally.
’Even when I’m winning like in Stuttgart or Halle (tournaments), it’s not necessarily, like, a feeling that I used to get where I was happy, over the moon, I felt motivated to keep going.
‘It’s just not there right now for me, which, again, is the first time in my life which I’m feeling.
‘I don’t think tennis is the problem right now for me. It is something else I have to find within me at the moment.’
Sabalenka’s advice might be something that Zverev needs to put into action immediately, arguably more so than his tennis now.
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