World number three Alexander Zverev said he relied on friends and professional help to address mental health concerns he revealed at Wimbledon, and is in a better frame of mind ahead of the US Open.
After his first-round exit at the All England Club, the German said that he felt “alone” and “empty” and “lacking joy in everything that I do”.
But the 28-year-old said that he was in a much better place as he eyes a first Grand Slam title in the final major of the year.
“Oh, I'm feeling a lot better,” Zverev said. “After Wimbledon I put my racket down and took extended time off and I went on holidays with my friends where I didn't train, didn't play tennis, didn't do anything to what I usually do.
“I went and had some time off. Spent a lot of time with my friends. Got professional help also, which I'm still working with now.
“Yeah, I'm on the right path.”
Zverev said he could feel the difference when he returned to action at the ATP Toronto Masters and the Cincinnati Open, reaching the semi-finals at both.
“I really enjoyed the last two tournaments. I really enjoyed being back on the tennis court,” he said. “I feel like everything is going in the right direction, and I'm very happy to be here right now.”
Zverev has come up empty in three Grand Slam finals, including a loss to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open.
He fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 Roland Garros final and to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open this year.
“I'm looking for the last step, right,” Zverev said “I'm looking to lift one of those above my head once. That's what I'm looking for.”
Meanwhile, defending champion Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are aiming for a third successive Grand Slam final meeting when they take their high-voltage rivalry to the US Open.
There is no shortage of compelling themes heading into the year's final Grand Slam, with Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Zverev looking to win a first major and Novak Djokovic aiming to move past Margaret Court and take sole possession of the all-time record of 25 majors.
All eyes will be on Sinner and Alcaraz, however, as the torch-bearers of the current generation go into battle again with the world number one ranking at stake.
After Alcaraz saved match points to win a marathon French Open final and retain his crown, Sinner got even by dethroning the Spaniard at Wimbledon last month, setting the stage for a mouth-watering New York final should the pair get there.
While Australian Open champion Sinner has been the dominant force on hardcourts in recent years, he has won only two of his seven clashes with Alcaraz on the surface, which has contributed to his 5-9 overall head-to-head record against the world number two.
The top-ranked Italian arrives in New York having retired due to illness in the Cincinnati final between the duo, which sparked concerns about his durability after extended spells in the unforgiving heat of the American summer.
“The US Open is going to be a tough tournament but at the same time I'm looking forward to it,” Sinner, a four-times Grand Slam champion, said ahead of the tournament.
