“I was dealing with a breakdown at the moment,” Stefanos Tsitsipas slaps Jannik Sinner’s loss with brutal honesty as he discusses the controversial line call in Monte Carlo

The Greek ace stunned Sinner in three sets at the Monte Carlo Masters.

“I was dealing with a breakdown at the moment,” Stefanos Tsitsipas slaps Jannik Sinner’s loss with brutal honesty as he discusses the controversial line call in Monte Carlo

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Jannik Sinner (Image via X)

Greek tennis ace Stefanos Tsitsipas showed his class when he met World No. 2 Jannik Sinner in the semifinal of the Monte Carlos Masters. The World No. 12 beat the reigning Australian Open champion in three sets to reach a Masters final after quite a while. But it was not an easy win for the Greek as the game had its share of controversies.

As a line call went against Sinner, it caused much uproar. While the Italian looked furious, it did not change anything for Sinner. Tsitsipas, meanwhile, commented on the issue as he revealed what effect it could have had on the game.

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The Greek ace said that if the ball had been called out, it would have changed the game completely. Tsitsipas admitted that it was a much-needed point for him and if it had not been in his favor, things could have turned out differently.

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It might have had bigger influence to my opponent than it had on me. I was dealing with a break down at that moment. Of course double break down wouldn't make things easier for me (smiling), and just holding serve there was crucial. I think the match would have turned out completely different if that would have been called out. I will agree that it would have been pretty bad for me if that call was made.
Stefanos Tsitsipas said

Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals how he deals with line calling on clay

Stefanos Tsitsipas further talked about the troublesome calling on clay. The Greek ace admitted that it can get challenging sometimes as mistakes are bound to happen. He then claimed that he only relies on himself for line calling on clay.

Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Image via Imago)

Tsitsipas said that he continues with a point only when he is sure about the calling. The 25-year-old said that calling is “weird” on clay as there can be issues with markings. Tsitsipas also revealed how he deals with such issues during his matches. 

There are a lot of weird things on clay that we don't see on other surfaces. One of them is the line calling and sometimes the marking. As someone that has played a lot on clay, I try and make the calls myself. I don't rely too much on line umpires to do their job.
Stefanos Tsitsipas said about line calling on clay

Tsitsipas said that whenever he hits a ball close to the baseline, he goes with his shot and judges it himself before continuing with the point. 

Always, whenever I hit a ball that's close to the baseline or the sideline that I think might be out, I hit it and I just have a quick look before I continue the point. So I have learned this way. That's why I don't get in conversations or arguments with umpires, because I understand mistakes can happen. I try to rely entirely upon myself. That's what I grew up doing.
Stefanos Tsitsipas said

The Greek ace also expressed delight at electronic calling getting introduced on the ATP Tour. Tsitsipas said that while tennis deserves drama, it should be done with performance.

About the match between Tsitsipas and Jannik Sinner, the Greek tennis star rallied to defeat World No. 2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to move to within one win of capturing his third title in the Principality. With this win, Tsitsipas extended his head-to-head record against Sinner 6-3.

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