Stefanos Tsitsipas Grateful to Play “Without Any Discomfort” Despite Crashing Out of the Cincinnati Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas has entered the Winston-Salem Open ahead of the US Open.

Stefanos Tsitsipas Grateful to Play “Without Any Discomfort” Despite Crashing Out of the Cincinnati Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas (image via Instagram/ Mutua Madrid Open)

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Stefanos Tsitsipas is currently going through a rough patch this season. He has not won two consecutive matches on tour since the Barcelona Open in April. At Cincinnati, the struggle continued as he crashed out in the third round after losing to Benjamin Bonzi. But the Greek’s happy to play without any discomfort on the court.

Tsitsipas suffered a back injury at the Wimbledon Championships and was forced to retire from his first round while down two sets against French qualifier Valentin Royer. After retiring, his former coach, Goran Ivanisevic, criticized his performance at the All England Club. That led to Tsitsipas eventually parting ways with the Croatian coach.

The former World No.3 then called his father back, as the coach, with whom he has had multiple public bust-ups in the past. They kicked off their reunion at the Canadian Open, where Tsitsipas failed to win his opening match as he lost to Christopher O’Connell in three sets. It was at the Cincinnati Open that they marked their first win as the 27-year-old defeated Fabian Marozsan in straight sets.

But in the third round, the World No.29 fell to French star Benjamin Bonzi 7-6(4), 3-6, 4-6. The Greek star didn’t play badly on the court, but he wasn’t at his best level after taking the lead in the first set. The loss marked his 15th defeat of the season as he has managed to win just 20 matches this season.

However, Tsitsipas remains optimistic about his future. He revealed during his press conference that his focus is firmly on his physical health and he’s happy to play without discomfort. He added that he hopes to get more match wins as the season progresses:

One thing I’m definitely happy about is that there’s no sign of the injury, which is great. It would be great to see me win more often, but I’m really grateful that I can finish matches without any discomfort or pain in my back, which is a good sign. I never imagined myself in this condition before, so I’m holding on to it. I just hope that I can keep my back stable and maybe slowly start winning, which would be great.

Tsitsipas’ best run this season came at the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai. There he claimed his only title of the season after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets. The Greek star made headlines recently, particularly since reappointing his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, as head coach following his split with Ivanisevic.

Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals the reason for entering the Winston-Salem Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ poor run has seen him drop out of the top 25 in the ATP rankings. He will not lose any points for crashing out of the third round of the Cincinnati Open. However, following his return from injury, he’s now seeking to play more matches before the US Open and that has made him accept a wildcard for the ATP 250 tournament in Winston-Salem.

Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Image via X/Outside the Ball)

The 27-year-old revealed during the aforementioned press conference that he needs to play in more matches to get to his best level ahead of the year’s final Grand Slam event in New York:

It’s a good way to get to the US Open. I’ve never played it before, so I don’t know what it’s like, but I’m definitely in a situation where I need matches. I’ll do it as best I can. I just hope I can gain confidence, start winning a few matches here and there. The US Open is going to be important for me, so I want to be really well prepared.

Tsitsipas has a dismal 6-7 record at the US Open. The 27-year-old lost in the opening match of the Grand Slam tournament last year. This season, he has won just a single major tournament match, and that came at the French Open. The Winston-Salem Open starts on April 17 to 23.

Also Read: Aryna Sabalenka Makes Worrying ‘Age’ Confession After Prevailing Against Emma Raducanu in Cincinnati