Stefanos Tsitsipas: ‘I guess karma hit me’ | ATP Tour

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Tsitsipas: ‘I guess karma hit me’

Greek reflects on disappointing first-round loss

January 13, 2025

Shortly before the start of the Australian Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas withdrew from doubles at the season’s first major alongside brother Petros Tsitsipas. That move backfired on Monday when the Greek star lost in four sets to Alex Michelsen at Melbourne Park.

“It’s quite ironic. My whole [idea] was to try to go deep into the Australian Open. I knew the first thing I had to consider was not playing doubles,” Tsitsipas said. “I guess karma hit me. I was not able to deliver or play the way I was hoping to at this year’s event. The whole purpose was just to save up on some energy and be fresher hopefully in the deeper draw of the tournament.”

The Australian Open has long been a happy hunting ground for Tsitsipas, who made the final in 2023 and three additional semi-finals. He made his breakthrough at the event in 2019, when as a 21-year-old he upset Roger Federer en route to the last four.

“For sure I had a fresher mind back then. It seemed like I was hungrier in a completely different way than I am now. I would definitely say that one thing that stood out the most back then is that I had this hunger to try and make a life out of tennis and to try to have a good beginning in my tennis career and my tennis journey. It’s different than it is now,” Tsitsipas said. “I’ve been quite well-established in the last couple of years, and I have seen the game, and I have seen all variations of games around the Tour. I’ve done the Tour over and over again, the same circle of tournaments and events. I’ve experienced what it is to be on the ATP Tour. I feel like there was a different energy, a different dynamic back then.

“I would actually say that I’m a better player now than I was back then. So even though I’m losing now and I’m not at my best, I feel like I’m much better as a player than back then where I felt like my shots were not as heavy in terms of topspin. I was playing much more flat and much more through the court.”

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Currently No. 12 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Tsitsipas has lost two of his first three matches to begin the 2025 season. The 26-year-old former World No. 3 will try to reset to charge forward for the rest of the year.

“The most frustrating part about losing in the first round of a Grand Slam is that you have way too much time to recover, and I would rather have the other way around where I don’t have enough time to recover. Honestly that’s much, much better in terms of problem-solving,” Tsitsipas said. “It just sucks in a way that I’ll be around, hanging around, for quite a while now before my next tournament comes in.”