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Tsitsipas and the beauty that hurts: ‘I guess karma hit me’

Stefanos Tsitsipas en al última Laver Cup / ACTION PRESS Glv Pres
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MELBOURNE – The pursuit of beauty can lead to tragedy, examples of which abound in history, literature, film or music. Also tennis, where no one embodies tragic beauty better than Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas: playing beautiful no longer works, he discovered on Monday after being knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open.

‘I have the feeling that power is what dominates today,’ said the 26-year-old Greek, who in 2021 was ranked number three in the world and today sits in twelfth position.

Tsitsipas’ problem, however, is not one of ranking: it is one of attitude. Six or seven seasons ago, his strong appearance on the tour gave tennis a different player, with talent, charisma and a certain unusual depth, because his press conferences and social media posts raised questions that went beyond tennis and sport: who am I, who are we, what are we here for, what is the importance of what we do, what is the meaning of life, how important is beauty?

But Tsitsipas is a tennis player, not a philosopher, and he is not doing well at the start of 2025. That’s what 20-year-old American Alex Michelsen, ranked 42nd in the world, took advantage of, defeating him 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

After the loss, Tsitsipas strung together a series of reflections with a clear focus: he doesn’t like the tennis of today, and the tennis he plays is not good enough in today’s tennis.

‘When I came in 2018, the game was very different from what it is now. It wasn’t as physical. I had wins over Novak (Djokovic) and I felt like I played well and I didn’t have to go to the most extreme version of myself in that particular match. I remember it quite fondly and with a lot of intensity. The game has become more physical. I think the margins have shrunk, which means you don’t get as many free points.’

With a somber face, the 2021 Roland Garros and 2023 Australia finalist unpacked his theories about why it’s harder for him to win today than it used to be, even though he plays better than he did in his 20s.

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‘I think (technological) innovation has allowed players to serve even better than they used to. I would definitely emphasise that. When I played years ago, I felt that overall the game was less powerful, and it was still physical, but it wasn’t as much as it is now. So I feel like power has taken over, which means that now everybody can hit hard. So you have to be accurate and combine both to be the best player.’

The passage of time took its toll on him, admits the 2019 season-closing Masters champion.

interview Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas// ALEXANDER SCHEUBER @alexanderscheuber

‘Yeah, of course I had a fresher mind back then and I seemed to be hungrier in a completely different way than I am now. I can say one of the things that stood out then is that I was hungry to try to make tennis my life and try to get a good start in my tennis career, in my tennis career. It was very different than it is now.’

A gentrified Tsitsipas? The Greek implies yes.

‘‘I’ve been pretty well established in the last couple of years, I’ve seen the game and I’ve seen all kinds of variations of play around the circuit, I’ve done the tour over and over again, the same circle of tournaments and events, and I’ve experienced what it’s like to feel like there was a different energy, a different dynamic back then. I would actually say I’m a better player now than I was back then, so even though I’m losing now and I’m not at my best, I still feel like I’m a much better player than I was back then, when I felt like my shots weren’t as heavy in terms of topspin. I was playing a lot flatter, and I feel like that doesn’t work as effectively now as it did then.’

One of the biggest turbulences for Tsitsipas’ tennis is his relationship with his father, Apostolos, who has been coaching him since forever and with whom he has an explosive relationship. There are countless situations in which the Greek has shushed his father in the middle of a match.

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In August 2024 he announced that Apostolos would no longer coach him. This Monday in Melbourne, that role was filled by the captain of the Greek Davis Cup team, Dimitris Chatzinikolau.

Before the start of the tournament, Tsitsipas spoke to the ‘Daily Express’ about his father. ‘He’s been an exceptional coach; I can only be grateful to him for what he did. He’s a great person; he sacrificed everything for a decade and for his whole life, always under a lot of stress. Coming from a small country like Greece, with no tennis tradition, I am proud of how he took me to the top and how we solved the crucial moments. Those moments shaped me as a player; those were the years when I showed my true potential. I still think he is one of the best coaches in the world. We have a great relationship, but now I just need to go on my own to mature as an adult. Beyond that, he’s still a fundamental person for me, both professionally and personally, I owe him everything.’

Beyond the 2023 final that he lost to Novak Djokovic, Tsitsipas was a three-time semi-finalist in Australia. He had high expectations, even withdrawing from the doubles tournament to concentrate on the singles, but reality slapped him in the face.

‘It’s quite ironic. My goal was to go far in the Australian Open and the first thing I had to consider was not playing the doubles. I guess karma hit me. My whole purpose was to save energy and be fresher to go far in the tournament. ‘

A sensitive man who appreciates beauty, Tsitsipas has someone who understands him very well: his girlfriend, Spain’s Paula Badosa, ranked 12th in the world.

‘I want it and I dream about it so much that sometimes it prevents me from playing my game,’ admits Badosa, who did manage to get past the first round on Sunday. Tsitsipàs himself could have easily signed that sentence.

 

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