Stefanos Tsitsipas has opened up about a rough patch in his career that he is currently working through.
While Tsitsipas is a two-time Grand Slam finalist, he has not gone past the quarterfinal stage of a major tournament since falling in the 2023 Australian Open final.
His struggles became more apparent after the 2024 French Open, as he has not made it beyond the second round at any major since then.
Speaking after his first-round win at the Rotterdam Open, Tsitsipas admitted that there was a point last year when he stopped enjoying tennis altogether.
Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals he lost passion for tennis last year
Tsitsipas has had a difficult stretch recently, dealing with a back injury that limited his appearances to just the Davis Cup after the US Open last season.
This issue had actually been brewing for a while, even before his win at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Tsitsipas spoke about it with Bolavip following his opening victory in Rotterdam.
Although he is back on tour full-time this season, the Greek said those doubts haven’t fully gone away.
“I experienced a lot of uncertainty for many months. Even when I won the tournament in Dubai, I wasn’t sure if I could sustain that level or even continue playing. It kept getting worse during the spring, and eventually, I stopped enjoying the game.
“The game becomes less important, and health becomes the most important thing in your life. Even earlier this year, I still had a lot of uncertainty about my future,” he stated.
Stefanos Tsitsipas shares update on ongoing back issue
Tsitsipas got his Rotterdam Open campaign off to a good start, beating Shanghai Masters finalist Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-3 in the opening round.
Even with that positive result, he made it clear afterwards that his back remains a persistent issue.
Tsitsipas said: “It felt very odd and frustrating because I couldn’t do much. My back is like it is, and there are only so many things I can do.
“If it refuses to heal, all I can do is wait and consult as many specialists as possible.”
Currently ranked world number 32, Tsitsipas could use a strong run in Rotterdam to help him climb back towards his previous standing.
On the other hand, an early exit would put added pressure on him heading into Dubai, where he has 500 points to defend from last year’s title run.
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