Tournament organizers at the 2025 Swiss Open in Gstaad suffered a significant setback after Alexander Zverev withdrew from the entry list.
The world No. 3 was set to be the highest-ranked and most significant draw at the ATP 250 event. Top five players competing at post-Wimbledon clay-court tournaments is rare and great news for organizers when it happens.
Although Zverev likes playing on clay, evidenced by his previously saying he thinks the French Open represents his best chance of winning a maiden Grand Slam title, some were undoubtedly surprised to see him on the Swiss Open entry list.
The German has since had second thoughts. On Friday, Zverev's withdrawal from the event in Gstaad was confirmed. He cited "personal reasons" for the move without further elaborating on those words.
While knowing all the details without more information from Zverev or someone close to him is impossible, his comments at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships might offer some insight into the situation.
Zverev suffered a shocking loss to Arthur Rinderknech in the opening round at Wimbledon. Grass is the three-time Grand Slam runner-up's least favorite surface, but he was still an overwhelming favorite to win that match.
His press conference after that defeat brought some startling comments. Zverev admitted he has been struggling mentally for some time and finding things challenging, and was open to seeing a therapist.
Those words were delivered with a tone and body language that showed what a tough place he is in right now. The remarks made widespread headlines and led to several players being asked about them and mental health in general.
Some of Zverev's colleagues offered him advice. Aryna Sabalenka encouraged the two-time ATP Finals champion to speak about his feelings, whether to a therapist or to people close to him.
Zverev received heartfelt sympathy from Novak Djokovic. The pair share a good relationship off the court, and the 24-time Grand Slam champion suggested that he might benefit from taking a break from tennis.
No one knows for certain yet, but Zverev might have taken Djokovic's advice. The 28-year-old has played many tournaments this season, and being burnt out may be adding to the stress and anxiety he is already feeling.
Zverev is not the only ATP player to open up about his struggles. Stefanos Tsitsipas spoke before Wimbledon started about finding it hard to manage stress and anxiety during the last few years.
Some of the Greek's feelings could have been caused by his relationship with Paula Badosa. A few days after the 2021 French Open runner-up made those comments, the two were widely reported to have split.
Goran Ivanisevic, who became Tsitsipas' coach a few weeks ago, also made brutal comments about him after his retirement with an injury at Wimbledon. He claimed to have never seen a player so unprepared and slammed his fitness.
It remains to be seen whether the relationship between Tsitsipas and Ivanisevic will survive those unexpected public words from the Croatian. Tsitsipas might consider them unfair and a breach of privacy and trust.
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