Stefanos Tsitsipas Reveals Why His Girlfriend Kristen Thoms Calls Him ‘Shi Shi’

Stefanos Tsitsipas has reached the second round of the Shanghai Masters after defeating Kimmer Coppejans 6-3, 7-5 in the opening round. After the match, he wrote ‘Shu Shu’ on the camera lens and later explained why.

During his interview with BB Tennis, Tsitsipas revealed that he calls his girlfriend Kristen Thoms ‘Shu Shu’ while she calls him ‘Shi Shi’. When asked why they chose those nicknames, Tsitsipas said there is no explanation for his, but hers refers to the lion-dog statues found at the entrances of houses and holy places in Japan.

My girlfriend Kristen, I call her Shu Shu, and I wanted to write it on the camera for her. And I’ve never written that before, I think. It’s a cute little nickname. She calls me Shi Shi, so there’s a Shi Shi-Shu Shu…

Stefanos Tsitsipas said

Tsitsipas went public with Thoms earlier this year. Before Thoms, the Greek ace dated WTA ace Paula Badosa from May 2023 until they parted ways for good mid-2025.

Shi Shi is the lion dog in Japanese culture. They have these lions in front of the house. I don’t even know if you’ve seen them. Some with the mouth open, some with the mouth closed. They’re like a little statues on the entrance of houses or holy places in Japan. And the lion dog in Japanese is called Shi Shi. I am a Leo because I am born in August… I think it kind of fits my hairstyle too, so it kinds of blends in together, seemingly… Shu Shu? I have no idea. It just came out naturally. There’s no explanation, to be honest.

Stefanos Tsitsipas added

🥰 “My girlfriend Kristen, I call her Shu Shu and I wanted to write it on the camera for her. It’s a cute little nickname. She calls me Shi Shi” Stefanos Tsitsipas shared a sweet story from his relationship with us 🫶 https://t.co/luachcuw3V

— BB Tennis (@BBTennis_tv) October 8, 2026

Tsitsipas will next be locking horns with Luciano Darderi. They will meet again after their clash in the round of 32 at the 2025 Halle Open, which Tsitsipas won.

Stefanos Tsitsipas wants to return to seeded positions in Grand Slams

Stefanos Tsitsipas was seeded 31st at the Australian Open this year, but due to his poor performances, he was not seeded at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Tsitsipas now aims to earn enough points to return to a seeded position at Grand Slam events next year.

My tennis is well put together. I feel like there are going to be new, exciting challenges moving ahead, because I’m really close to fulfilling that goal of mine that I spoke about a few months ago. The next few weeks are going to be rough, they’re going to be difficult, and I’m mentally prepared that I will need to surpass myself in a few different circumstances and situations, and maybe have tough, difficult matches that I will have to overcome too.

Stefanos Tsitsipas told Tennis TV

Tsitsipas has won one title this season. At the Swiss Open Gstaad, he defeated Raphael Collignon to win his first title since the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships.

In Shanghai, the 28-year-old reached the semifinals on his third appearance in 2019. Tsitsipas is a three-time champion in Masters 1000s, winning the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2021, 2022, and 2024. This year, Tsitsipas has made the fourth round of a Masters 1000 event just once, at the Madrid Open.

Valentin Vacherot is the reigning champion in Shanghai and is set to start his campaign against Sebastian Baez. World No.1 Jannik Sinner is not competing due to his knee injury. He defeated Novak Djokovic in the final in 2024.

The Serb failed to continue his winning ways after losing to Hubert Hurkacz in the opening round in Shanghai following his victory at the China Open. Carlos Alcaraz will face Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the opening round.

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