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Goran Ivanišević, former Wimbledon champion and longtime coach of Novak Djokovic, pulled again the curtain on a troubling development inside skilled tennis. Talking in regards to the mounting psychological toll on gamers, Ivanišević prompt that psychological well being struggles at the moment are so widespread that “everybody’s on antidepressants.”
His remarks comply with Alexander Zverev’s emotional admission about his ongoing psychological battles following a disappointing first-round Wimbledon exit.
Novak Djokovic’s Former Coach Goran Ivanišević Opens Up on Tennis’ Rising Psychological Well being Disaster
Ivanišević, who now coaches Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, opened up in a revealing dialog with Clay Tennis, including to the rising discourse across the psychological pressure elite athletes face.
The timing of his feedback is notable, provided that Tsitsipas had simply been compelled to retire from his Wimbledon opener as a result of a lingering again situation, and Zverev had simply laid naked his emotional turmoil throughout a heartfelt press convention after shedding to Arthur Rinderknech.
The 28-year-old German confessed he was struggling to benefit from the sport or really feel motivated. “I’ve by no means felt this empty earlier than. Simply missing pleasure, simply missing pleasure in all the pieces that I do,” Zverev said in his post-match press convention. “It’s not essentially about tennis. Simply missing pleasure outdoors of tennis, as nicely.”
“I really feel very alone on the market at occasions. I wrestle mentally,” he added. “I don’t know. It’s troublesome to seek out pleasure outdoors the tennis court docket for me in the intervening time.”
“I’ve by no means felt this empty earlier than. Simply missing pleasure…”
-Alexander Zverev#TheBreakTC | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/R6AatINwBl— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 6, 2025
Addressing the depth of the game, Ivanišević defined that tennis calls for extra than simply bodily prowess. “Tennis is a person sport, you’re alone on the market,” he said. “We will put together them, however down there it’s a battle. A coach must be a psychologist. It’s much less about educating forehands and backhands now, it’s all within the head.”
The 2001 Wimbledon champion emphasised that psychological power is the important thing separator amongst prime gamers, noting, “Everybody is aware of the best way to hit, the distinction is psychological. After I hearken to gamers, everybody’s on antidepressants, Zverev says he’s in a nasty place…”
Ivanišević Questions the Supply of Stress on At present’s Stars
Ivanišević additionally touched on gamers’ immense strain, questioning the place all of it stems from. “I don’t know why they put a lot strain on themselves. Perhaps it’s outdoors expectations, society’s expectations, they’ll’t deal with it,” he mentioned.
He pointed to Zverev’s struggles for instance, highlighting how the German as soon as discovered himself blocked by the dominance of Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal and now has to cope with the rise of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. “He’s No. 3, he trains, however he’s nonetheless far,” Ivanišević noticed. “That results in frustration.”
The Croatian coach described tennis as “brutal” and mentally “robust,” noting that, in contrast to staff sports activities, there are not any substitutes or halftimes. He additionally praised the psychological fortitude of the youthful stars, saying, “It’s important to admire Sinner and Alcaraz. They’ve their groups, their path, and so they simply preserve pushing ahead with out trying again.”
