Alexander Zverev admits he is struggling mentally: 5 athletes who battled depression and anxiety
Alexander Zverev mental health struggle: Zverev has revealed that he is struggling mentally, not in the game but life. He admitted that he feels lonely and tries to get out of the hole, but finds himself back there every time. Zverev crashed out of Wimbledon in the first round.
I feel very alone out there: Alexander Zverev makes heartbreaking revelation
Three-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev's admission that he is struggling mentally in life, after his first-round exit at Wimbledon this week, has once again triggered conversation around mental health in sports and the importance of talking about it. The third-seeded German lost to unseeded Arthur Rinderknech of France, and what he said after the loss broke a million hearts. “I feel very alone out there at times," Zverev admitted, his words resonating with everyone who had ever felt lonely in life. "I struggle mentally. ... I’m trying to find ways to kind of get out of this hole. I keep kind of finding myself back in it in a way,” Zverev said. The world number 3 cleared that it is not a feeling he had only on the tennis court, but in life. “I feel, generally speaking, quite alone in life at the moment, which is a feeling that is not very nice. It’s not a feeling on a tennis court, it’s just a life feeling in general." Here are some other major athletes who have opened up about their mental health struggles.
Michael Phelps - American swimmer and most successful Olympian
Phelps is the biggest name in the world of swimming even after his retirement. In 2018, the champion revealed his fight with depression and anxiety, and that he thought about suicide after the 2012 London Olympics. He told the world that he experienced "post-Olympic depression" after the Athens, Beijing, and London Games. Phelps has now become a mental health advocate and has pushed people to seek help.
Simone Biles - American artistic gymnast
When Simone Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics team final, citing mental health struggles, the world of sports sat up and took notice of the pressures athletes face. She said she needed to focus on her mental health. Biles has admitted that she suffered from anxiety and panic attacks. However, what pushed her to the brink was "the twisties," a mental block gymnasts suffer when they lose control of their body in the air, unable to complete a twisting.
Naomi Osaka - First Japanese tennis player to win a major singles title
Osaka's struggle with anxiety and depression was revealed to the world at the 2021 French Open. She refused to sit for a press conference and was threatened with expulsion and fined $15,000. Osaka pulled out of the tournament to focus on her mental health, and then again from Wimbledon. At the 2021 US Open, she threw her racket three times, and when asked the reason, she said, "I'm not really sure why", and "recently I feel very anxious when things don't go my way."
Serena Williams - American tennis player
Serena Williams took a break from the game in 2015 as she was battling depression. Her then-coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, told ESPN that “she was depressed”. “The reaction was quite strong. She was really, really affected, which I think is normal when you are Serena." Then, in August 2018, she told the world that "she has been battling postpartum depression." Williams had given birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. last September. "Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom," she said.
Ronda Rousey - American professional wrestler, with tenure in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and WWE
Ronda Rousey revealed that she experienced suicidal thoughts after her loss to Holly Holm back in November 2015. It was termed the biggest upset in the history of UFC. Until this match, Rousey was undefeated in her MMA career and was on a 12-match winning streak. The loss shattered Rousey, who said that her identity as a fighter meant everything to her. Rousey also had body image issues, which impacted her mental health.
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