"For several years": Alexander Zverev seeks professional help

After his surprisingly early exit from Wimbledon, Alexander Zverev is taking a break from tennis. He's putting his racket down for a while to catch his breath. This will give him new strength for the US Open. The help he's seeking for his mental health challenges will also help.

Tennis star Alexander Zverev has sought professional help after his unusually open words about mental health issues at Wimbledon. "It's a process. It won't be over in a week or two," the 28-year-old said at the US Open in New York.

"I think it's something you have to work on over several years," explained the Hamburg native. "It's what I do." When asked what kind of help he was accepting, the world number three didn't answer. "I feel much better," he said. He's on the right track. "I've really enjoyed being back on the tennis court."

After his first-round exit at Wimbledon, Zverev reported that he was mentally in a slump and finding it difficult to find joy outside of the tennis court. He spoke of a feeling of loneliness in his life and a lack of motivation on and off the court. He may need therapy for the first time in his life. He also announced that something about him needed to change, something that didn't necessarily have anything to do with tennis. In recent years, several ex-partners had accused him of domestic violence.

Training at Rafael Nadal's academy

"At the end of the day, I had to take care of myself a bit," Zverev said in New York. The time after Wimbledon had done him "very, very good." "I went on vacation, was completely away from tennis, didn't play tennis, didn't train." He spent a lot of time with friends and flew to Mallorca to prepare "refreshed again."

After his break, the Australian Open finalist trained at the academy of former world number one Rafael Nadal in Mallorca, but a permanent collaboration with his uncle Toni didn't materialize at first. In New York, Zverev will once again be accompanied by his father, Alexander Zverev Sr., and his brother Mischa. The people around him are "great," he said.

Zverev couldn't say exactly what was behind the physical problems he experienced at the recent tournament in Cincinnati. A blood test showed that his blood levels were actually okay. "I don't know exactly. I think I took too many painkillers and that might have made me a little sick. I've had back pain for the past few weeks."

Zverev is the big hope among Germany's roster in New York. The draw assigned the German number one the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo as his opponent in the opening match.