Paula Badosa sends defiant Stefanos Tsitsipas message after Greek’s US Open exit
Paula Badosa defiantly stated that her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas “will always be a champion” after the Greek’s poor run of form continued at the US Open.
Spanish star Badosa has been in resurgent form over the summer, with the 26th seed into the third round of the US Open for the first time.
After beating Viktorija Golubic in her opener, the former world No 2 rallied from a break down in the second set to seal a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Taylor Townsend on Thursday.
Her impressive summer – which started with her winning her fourth career title at the Washington Open earlier in the month – contrasts Tsitsipas’ recent results.
An encouraging clay court season saw the Greek win the Monte Carlo Masters and reach the French Open quarter-finals, though he has struggled since then.
His poor US Open record continued on Tuesday, the 11th seed beaten in four sets by Thanasi Kokkinakis for a third round-one loss in seven main draw appearances – having never made it to the second week.
However, Tsitsipas’ time in New York is not yet over, with he and Badosa once again deciding to enter the mixed doubles draw at a major.
Badosa and Tsitsipas will face Giuliana Olmos and Santiago Gonzalez in round one and, when asked in her post-match interview to confirm they would be playing, Badosa did just that.
But the 26-year-old also sent a telling message of support to her partner.
US Open News
Stefanos Tsitsipas makes brutally honest confession after his nightmare US Open record got worse
US Open: Holger Rune makes brutal comments after ‘extremely bad’ loss
She said: “I confirm that – hopefully we play tomorrow.
“We’re looking forward to it, it’s really nice to share the court together. We spend time off court, but also on court.. It’s really special in a slam. It’s like a dream come true.
“Big shout out to him. He’s going through tough moments – but he’s a champion and he will always be a champion.”
A mixed doubles campaign may provide some welcome relief for Tsitsipas, who has been under scrutiny even in the build-up to the US Open.
The former world No 3 confirmed after the Canadian Open that his dad, Apostolos, would no longer be his full-time coach.
But the shift away from his family has not paid off in the short-term, and he admitted after his loss to Kokkinakis that he was unsure of where he was in his career.
“I remember my concentration used to be at its highest, at its peak, back then, and that’s something that I felt has dropped a little bit. I know it sounds strange, but I feel like I need the hunger to reproduce the hunger I had back then,” added Tsitsipas.
“And I’m not a person that feels alright or settles for normal stuff. Like, I really want to regenerate it and bring it back because it brought a lot of joy to my tennis when I was able to feel that way on the court.
“I really don’t know why it has dropped the last couple of months. I would even consider it like one to two years I’ve been feeling that way. I guess I was just able to hide it a bit better and put it to the side a bit more.”
