Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered a horrible defeat against Denis Shapovalov in the second round of the Miami Open. Tsitsipas failed to create a single breakpoint opportunity against Shapovalov, who has been struggling with injuries and form for over a year.
Tsitsipas hasn’t had a great season so far. Last year’s Australian Open runner-up couldn’t defend his points, crashed in the fourth round against Taylor Fritz, and was also unable to defend his Los Cabos title. He holds a current live ranking of world No. 11.
Touted as the next big thing in 2019
Tsitsipas was coming off a successful 2018 campaign during which he announced himself to the world by beating Novak Djokovic en route to the final of the Canadian Masters Open. The then 20-year-old sublimely ended the year by winning the Next Gen Finals, defeating the likes of Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, Frances Tiafoe, and Alex de Minaur.
The Greek started the 2019 season in the same manner, upsetting defending champion Roger Federer in four sets at the Australian Open. He had a great 2019 season, making his top-10 debut and winning 54 matches, five of which were against the Big 3. Tsitsipas finished the year similarly to 2018, this time winning the ATP Finals.
Tsitsipas’s aggressive and fearless play style suited every surface. With a great forehand, good serve, and good volleys, he was touted to be the next big thing in tennis.
Roland Garros 2021 – Best shot to win a Major
Stefanos Tsitsipas was in great form when he entered Roland Garros in 2021, having won his first Masters 1000 title in Monte Carlo. A final in Barcelona and another title in the Lyon Open followed. In the Roland Garros final against Djokovic, the former world No. 3 was up two sets to love and on the verge of becoming a Grand Slam champion but ultimately lost in five sets.
That hurt a lot, but despite the loss, Tsitsipas would have expected to have more chances to win a slam. It has been three years since that loss, and with every passing year, that looks like the last great chance. Tsitsipas reached the 2023 Australian Open final but never looked like he could trouble Djokovic in that match.
Tsitsipas would have expected that he would win some majors once Djokovic and Nadal would get old or retire. However, he kept losing to them even when they were 35+, and then came Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, perhaps earlier than Tsitsipas expected.
Effect of the new generation
Tsitsipas might sound positive in his press conferences, but he seems to lack the same motivation and hunger he once had. You wonder how much of that has to do with the rise of Alcaraz, Sinner, and other players.
Seeing a younger, better, more charismatic player emerge before him and get everything he hoped for—majors, recognition, and attention—must have been difficult for him to process.
The successive tough losses against Alcaraz seem to have made him realize that he has no chance of winning the big titles anymore. It’s as if he has realized that he is not as special as he thought – and that is an unpleasant realization for any ambitious player. Accepting that you will spend the remainder of your career in the shadows of others is a frightening reality.
The backhand keeps getting worse
Recently after his practice session with Alcaraz in Miami, Tsitsipas admitted that he wants to learn the ‘secrets’ of Alcaraz and Sinner.
The biggest secret about their game is that they have no weaknesses. Tsitsipas’ backhand has been the same since he came on tour, and it seems like it’s regressing. He used to get away with it, but now that the opponents know his weakness, they target his backhand with every opportunity they get in the match. His inability to improve the slice and topspin on his backhand has cost him a lot recently.
Tsitsipas dropped outside the top 10 for the first time since Mar. 2019. His first-serve percentage is an all-time low this year. His first-serve points won is the lowest since 2018, and the clay season hasn’t even begun.
Tsitsipas has won only 1 of his last 10 matches against top-10 ranked players. It seems like players around him have improved, while the Greek has remained the same or maybe even regressed.
At this moment, Stefanos Tsitsipas is far away from being a threat to any other actual contenders, and the upcoming clay season, where he has to defend a significant amount of points, will either make or break his season.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports
