Stefanos Tsitsipas makes ‘karma’ confession after Australian Open shock

Stefanos Tsitsipas opted not to take part in the Australian Open men’s doubles as he wanted to save energy for the singles draw, but “karma hit him” as he lost in the first round.
The world No 12 was due to team up with his brother Petros in the doubles, but they withdrew as the older brother had set his sights on a deep run in the singles.
But Tsitsipas’ grand plan came unstuck at the first hurdle as he was stunned by rising star Alex Michelsen with the 20-year-old winning 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
“It’s quite ironic,” the Greek said. “My whole [idea] was to try to go deep into the Australian Open. I knew the first thing I had to consider was not playing doubles.
“I guess karma hit me. I was not able to deliver or play the way I was hoping to at this year’s event. The whole purpose was just to save up on some energy and be fresher, hopefully, in the deeper draw of the tournament.”
Tsitsipas peaked at No 3 in 2021 as he reached the semi-final of the Australian Open and finished runner-up at the French Open. He made the last four at Melbourne Park again in 2022 before finishing runner-up the following year.
But he slumped in 2024 as he slipped to outside the top 10 in the ATP Rankings and he is now set for another drop after the season-opening Grand Slam.
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So what has gone wrong for the 26-year-old in the past year?
“I had more mental freshness back then; it seemed like I had more hunger than now. One of the things that stood out then is that I had the hunger to try to make tennis my life and to have a good start in my tennis career and journey. It’s different from what it is now,” he explained.
“I have pretty much settled in the last two years, and I have seen the game, I have seen all the variations of tennis around the circuit. I have experienced what it’s like to be on the ATP circuit. I feel like there was a different energy back then, a different dynamic.
“I would say I am a better player now than then. Even though I may be losing now and not at my best, I believe I am a much better player than I was then when I felt my shots weren’t as powerful in terms of topspin. I played much flatter and more through the court than now. I think that wouldn’t work as well now as it did then.”