Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu have shared their personal approaches to staying mentally strong and keeping joy alive on the court. Both players, speaking after their second-round wins at Wimbledon 2025, reflected on how they navigate the mental rollercoaster of a sport where losing is often more frequent than winning.
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz Join Mental Health Conversation Sparked by Alexander Zverev
The topic surfaced after German player Alexander Zverev made headlines with a vulnerable press conference this week, revealing that he’s been struggling to find joy and motivation. His comments struck a chord, prompting questions to both Raducanu and Alcaraz about how they manage to stay upbeat in a sport known for its unforgiving schedule and constant pressure to perform.
Raducanu, making her fourth Wimbledon appearance, offered a thoughtful response following her straight-set wins over Mingge Xu and 2023 champion Markéta Vondroušová. Speaking in her post-match press conference, she admitted that tennis can be mentally exhausting. “I think tennis is a really difficult sport. You lose every week pretty much. Out of however many tournaments, 26 weeks a year, you’re pretty much losing 26 weeks a year,” she said.
The 22-year-old emphasized the importance of focusing on the process rather than the result. “I think for me, what I’ve found, is trying to surround yourself with good people.. trying to win the day.. trying to focus on the process as much as possible,” she added.
“I think the results, it’s really difficult to kind of take your joy from the results. Because it’s so up and down. It’s a rollercoaster. So, trying to enjoy and think, ‘Did I get 1% better today? Or did I maintain today?’ Because maintaining as well is a big skill. If you don’t do the right work, you can easily slip.”
Emma Raducanu says tennis is a very difficult sport to handle mentally because you’re losing almost every week, ‘It’s really difficult to take your joy from the results… Because it’s so up and down’
“In this room last night Alexander Zverev gave a press conference about the… pic.twitter.com/vb1kqqF3yO
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 2, 2025
Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion at the All England Club, also chimed in after his victories over Fabio Fognini and Oliver Tarvet. The Spaniard was asked if he ever experiences dips in joy. “I’ve felt down a lot of times on the court and in tournaments. I’m just really happy to have found the right path again and such good joy on the court,” Alcaraz admitted.
“It’s not about winning or losing. For me, it’s about having fun playing tennis, have fun stepping on court. Not thinking about the result. It’s just living the moment.”
“Here at Wimbledon, for me, it’s a gift. Every match I’m playing is a gift. I’m trying to make the most of it.” Alcaraz also acknowledged the broader conversation around mental health in tennis, saying, “I’m just seeing a lot of players talking about mental health and as I said, I found what works well for me. I’m just trying to follow it.”
Carlos Alcaraz was asked if he ever has a dip in his joy, ‘For me, it’s not about winning or losing. For me it’s about having fun playing tennis, have fun stepping on court’
“A lot of players have been talking about their difficulties with mental health. Specifically Zverev last… pic.twitter.com/FjkvkLbMwx
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 2, 2025
What’s Ahead for Alcaraz and Raducanu at Wimbledon
Alcaraz advanced to the third round, where he will face either 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Jan-Lennard Struff. Meanwhile, Raducanu will face World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Both players also teamed up for the revamped 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles tournament.
