“I’m a bit lost,” Stefanos Tsitsipas hits rock bottom after exiting from the Madrid Open in the third round

Stefanos Tsitsipas has won just five of his last eight matches on clay and failed to defend the Monte Carlo Masters.

“I’m a bit lost,” Stefanos Tsitsipas hits rock bottom after exiting from the Madrid Open in the third round

Stefanos Tsitsipas (via X/The Tennis Letter)

Stefanos Tsitsipas has continued his downward slope since winning the Dubai Tennis Championships in February. The Greek star is currently ranked World No.18 in the ATP and has failed to produce the sublime display he had last year. After crashing out of the Madrid Open, the 26-year-old admits that he’s lost as to what to do.

Tsitsipas’ triumph at the Dubai Open was greeted with celebration and praise as it was his first ATP 500 title of his career. The former World No.5 arrived for the clay season as the biggest threat in the men’s circuit and the favorite to win a title. But that didn’t materialize as he failed to defend his Monte Carlo Masters.

He then suffered an injury at the Barcelona Open, which meant that he couldn’t defend his runners-up position last year. He arrived in Madrid desperate to turn things around and claim his first clay title but after winning just one match, he was ousted by Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets 5-7, 6(3)-7 in the third round.

The defeat now sees him with only five wins this clay and three losses. The Greek star was heavily disappointed in his performance and revealed during his press conference that he was lost as to what to do next to change his game.

I don’t know how to work on that, I’ll figure it out by talking with my team. There are some things I’ve improved, like maybe getting more balls in on returns, something I’ve gotten better at, but I feel that I don’t create enough damage with the return, that when I return I lack confidence that the ball is doing any damage, when I connect with the ball… it’s frustrating because I know I can play like this, to press, both on returns and in rallies… right now I’m a bit lost. I need time to see which direction to take.

Stefanos Tsitsipas said via Madrid Open Press

Tsitsipas will remain outside the Top 16 seeding at the French Open, which will see him get a very hard draw at the tournament. He now has to seek means to get back to form at the Italian Open in May.

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ poor performance against Lorenzo Musetti in Madrid

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ loss to Lorenzo Musetti at the Madrid Open was surprising because he started the match very organized. In fact, he hit an excellent shot in the match to lead 4-2 and cupped his ear to the crowd.

But, he allowed his opponent back into the match, which was disappointing. The 2029 runners-up kept playing to the advantage of the Italian, making it hard for him to swing a proper one-handed backhand shot, which is his major strength.

Stefanos Tsitsipas 2025 Madrid Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas (image via Instagram/ Mutua Madrid Open)

But the loss isn’t just only about the Greek performance but the way he felt after it. This is not the first time the 26-year-old has sounded frustrated. After exiting the Monte Carlo Masters, he was disappointed in himself and didn’t look like he was picking up the pieces after the tournament, which led to another defeat in Barcelona.

However, Tsitsipas has hope as he has experience of playing in the Italian Open, which starts on May 7. He reached the final of the competition in 2022 but failed to beat Novak Djokovic. He now has the opportunity of doing so as Djokovic has pulled out of the tournament and Carlos Alcaraz is a major doubt.

Stefanos Tsitsipas reacts to his father appearing in his box at the Madrid Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, made his reappearance in the Greek star’s box during his loss to Lorenzo Musetti. The return of Apostolos sparks speculation about whether the 26-year-old is seeking to bring his father back to him after parting ways last year. He was asked about it during the aforementioned press conference and he said he didn’t listen to him throughout the match.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Apostolos Tsitsipas 1
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Apostolos Tsitsipas (via ATP)

I didn’t listen to him at all. I don’t know what he said to me during the match, I wasn’t there in the box at all, and I was trying to find solutions on my own.

Stefanos Tsitsipas said

Recently, Tsitsipas revealed that his father is trying to find a way back into his career but he’s resisting him. Perhaps, that may be the reason he didn’t listen to him during his loss to Musetti on Tuesday (April 29).