Stefanos Tsitsipas makes some telling comments after his worrying post-Wimbledon interview
Stefanos Tsitsipas suggested he was considering his future in tennis after a first round exit at Wimbledon, but the former world No 3 will be thinking with a clearer mind as he prepares to return to action on hard courts in North America.
Tsitsipas was forced to retire in the opening round at Wimbledon due to a lower back injury after losing the first two sets against 113th-ranked French qualifier Valentin Royer.
His comments after that latest setback led some to suspect the 26-year-old was pondering whether he would continue in the sport after a poor run of form over the last year.
“It’s tough to describe. I mean, I’m battling many wars these days,” said Tsitsipas after the match.
“It’s really painful to see myself in a situation like this. One thing that I absolutely hate doing is retiring or stopping a match, but I’ve never pictured myself being in a situation like this multiple times since the ATP Finals in Turin a couple of years back.
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“Since that time, I’ve been very fragile with my body, and I’ve been battling a war of feeling healthy and feeling comfortable going to extremes, which has been a difficult battle.
“So I really don’t know. I mean, I feel completely — I feel like I’m left without answers. I don’t know. I’ve tried everything. I’ve done an incredible job with my fitness.
“I’ve done an incredible job with my physiotherapy, so I’ve maximised on everything that I possibly can do. Right now, I’m just absolutely left with no answers. I don’t know what to do.”
They were the words of a player devastated by another setback, while there were also suggestions his relationship with fellow tennis player Paula Badosa also ended just before Wimbledon, which may also have had an impact on his mood.
Yet when Tsitsipas sat down with Tennis365 for an exclusive interview just before Wimbledon, it was clear that he believes he is close to finding his best form, as he told us he just needed a few parts of his puzzle to click into place.
“I feel like I’m a tournament away from everything clicking again,” Tsitsipas told Tennis365 at an Adidas event in London.
“Not just a couple of matches. I need a big tournament to feel like I am where I want to be.
“My level is there. My confidence hasn’t shown in the games that are tight and tough. I have lacked a few points here and there and we all know that men’s tennis is a few points here and there.
“I haven’t brought in the attention and the focus to detail and I wouldn’t say it’s luck, but you need a little bit of skill here and a little bit of luck there sometimes. That makes the whole ending of the game.
“I’m looking to bounce back from all this because I know this is not a great place to be and I deserve a whole lot better, but I’ve also got to bring back the additional work and the sacrifices you need to put in daily to make that happen.
“But in the top five and being in the top 10 is not a place of comfort. You can never think you belong there because if you want to be there, you have to deliver.”
He also outlined what he considered success to be, as he suggested winning a Grand Slam title is not on his agenda right now.
“I would like to start with smaller goals,” he added. “Just seeing myself back in the big moments, which I would consider semis to finals. These are the moments that I’m dying to see myself in.
“I would want to start from there and see how it can fight through those matches, because once you reach that point, it’s one or two matches away. And that’s where you can really fight for your dream. If you’re ending tournaments in third, fourth quarter-finals, you’re not really there, you know.
“So my wish is to try and work hard enough and do the proper work to try and get in that position, to try and give myself a chance again.”
Tsitsipas’ brand of tennis is a welcome addition to the men’s game, with his single-handed backhand a work of art when it is firing.
So his fans will be hoping to see him back at the top of the game before the year is done.
