Stefanos Tsitsipas told he has become ‘old-school mid-career’ and is at an ‘inflection point’
Andy Roddick believes Stefanos Tsitsipas has arrived at “an inflection point” in his career as the Greek continues his search to regain his best from at the 2024 Miami Open.
The 2003 US Open champion thinks Tsitsipas is “certainly talented enough to turn it around”, but assessed that the 25-year-old has “almost become old-school mid-career with the way that he produces his shots.”
Tsitsipas holds an 11-5 record so far in 2024, but has dropped to 11th in the world, having been a regular presence in the top five of the ATP Rankings since his emergence as an elite player.
Since his run to the 2023 Australian Open final, Tsitsipas has rarely looked like the same player who has reached two major finals, won the 2019 ATP Finals and claimed two Monte Carlo Masters titles.
The former world No 3 won his only title since June of 2022 in Los Cabos in August last year, but has not reached a final since his victory at the ATP 250 event.
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Tsitsipas reached the last 16 of the 2024 Indian Wells Masters following straight-set wins over Lucas Pouille and Frances Tiafoe, before falling to 2-6, 4-6 loss to Jiri Lehecka.
The 25-year-old Greek will face Denis Shapovalov in his opening match at the Miami Open, with the former world No 10 holding a 3-2 record against Tsitsipas.
Former world No 1 Roddick discussed Tsitsipas’ dip in form and suggested the 2021 French Open runner-up will be very keen to switch to clay, which is arguably his best surface.
“This also feels like an inflection point for Stefanos Tsitsipas. He’s someone we’ve almost taken for granted as being in the top five but is now No 11 in the world and moving a little bit further back in line, so I don’t think the clay can get here fast enough for Stef,” the 32-time ATP titlist told Betway.
“He’s certainly talented enough to turn it around, but it’s going to take some work. The game is changing and he’s almost become old-school mid-career with the way that he produces his shots.
“I hope we don’t lose that style in tennis, with that flair for the dramatic and one-handed talent, so will be looking for him to recover.”
Tsitsipas’ exit from the top 10 of the Rankings in February means there are no players with a single-handed backhand in this elite group for the first time in ATP history.
When asked about this in Indian Wells, Tsitsipas explained: “It’s a complex shot to master and to perfect, and it takes a lot of time to get to a point where you develop an amazing single-handed backhand, one that is a weapon.
“Way more complaints, the double-handed backhand, I also think that people have the tendency to choose the double-handed backhand is obviously the ease of it, how less complex it is to learn and how you can always support your left hand to close out certain shots or save certain shots that perhaps a single-handed backhand would slice instead.
“So these are say some of the, let’s say, advantages of it. Otherwise I do feel like it’s the most beautiful shot in tennis. I do believe it’s the most difficult thing to learn in tennis, but of course it has its rewards as sort of creating opportunities, opening up the court.
“I think it’s a massive weapon for courts that have sort of a high response to the ball, especially clay courts, as well. So I do find it a beautiful shot that also, if perfected in the right way, it can be a massive lethal weapon for those who feel confident hitting that shot.”
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