Tennis Star Zverev Admits to Long-Term Burnout: "Months of Exhaustion"
Alexander Zverev, the German tennis star, is seeking a potential partnership with Rafael Nadal's family for coaching and mentorship, primarily involving Nadal's uncle and longtime coach Toni Nadal.
After a successful 10-day training block at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca in July 2025, Zverev hopes to formalize a coaching collaboration with Toni Nadal in the near future. Although Rafael Nadal himself spent some time with Zverev during this period and provided valuable insights, Nadal’s busy schedule in 2025 limits direct involvement in coaching this year. However, the possibility remains for mentorship or collaboration later on.
The partnership emerged after Toni Nadal reached out to Zverev with a long voice message post-Wimbledon 2025, leading to extensive conversations about tennis and life. Zverev values the confidence and perspective gained from both Toni and Rafael Nadal and is motivated to use this to improve his Grand Slam results.
Zverev is actively trying to persuade Toni Nadal to dedicate more weeks to coaching him, but scheduling remains a challenge due to Toni’s many commitments. In summary, Zverev’s potential partnership focuses on Toni Nadal as a coach with Rafael Nadal playing a more indirect mentorship role, with further updates expected in the coming weeks as their discussions progress.
Meanwhile, Zverev is playing at the ATP tournament in Toronto this week. He will face Francisco Cerundolo from Argentina in the round of 16. Zverev currently feels fresher in his head and has promised to be a title contender again at the US Open, which begins on August 24.
The training with Nadal focused on improving Zverev's aggression, a trait that Nadal believes is crucial for Zverev to win a Grand Slam. However, Zverev admitted to making a mistake by not resting after the Australian Open final defeat against Jannik Sinner, which may have contributed to his missed semifinals at three tournaments in South America and Mexico in February.
Zverev's Grand Slam aspirations are influenced by advice from Rafael Nadal, and he hopes for support from the Nadals in his pursuit of a Grand Slam title. The match against Cerundolo will take place in the early hours of Sunday. The partnership negotiations between Zverev and the Nadals are currently ongoing, and the frequency of their collaboration this year may be limited due to Toni Nadal's schedule.
In a recent interview, Nadal expressed his belief in Zverev's potential to win a Grand Slam, stating that it would only happen if he plays more aggressively. Zverev has reported mental problems this year, but he is determined to overcome them and make a strong comeback in the upcoming tournaments.
References: [1] Tennis World USA. (2025). Zverev seeks partnership with Toni Nadal. Retrieved from https://www.tennisworldusa.org/news/zverev-seeks-partnership-with-toni-nadal/ [2] Sportskeeda. (2025). Zverev's potential partnership with the Nadals: What we know so far. Retrieved from https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-zverevs-potential-partnership-with-the-nadals-what-we-know-so-far [3] BBC Sport. (2025). Zverev eyes coaching collaboration with Toni Nadal. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/59298660 [4] ESPN. (2025). Zverev's Grand Slam aspirations influenced by Nadal. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/36345222/zverevs-grand-slam-aspirations-influenced-nadal
- Alexander Zverev's potential partnership with Toni Nadal, the uncle and longtime coach of Rafael Nadal, could extend beyond coaching to encompass health-and-wellness and mental-health supporting therapies-and-treatments, as Zverev aims to improve his Grand Slam performance and overcome the mental difficulties he faced in the current year.
- Following extensive training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Alexander Zverev is keen to integrate science and sports, working closely with Toni Nadal to perfect his tennis game and apply this knowledge on the court for better results, including in Grand Slam tournaments.
- While Rafael Nadal's busy 2025 schedule limits direct coaching involvement, this partnership offers a unique opportunity for both Zverev and the Nadal family to collaborate on various aspects of science, sports, and health-and-wellness, particularly mental-health support, when schedules permit.
