Stefanos Tsitsipas expresses regret over 2021 French Open loss: “I could’ve beaten Djokovic”
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Stefanos Tsitsipas with the runners-up trophy at the 2021 French Open
After a phenomenal run at the 2020 French Open, where he advanced all the way to the semi-finals, to lose to eventual runner-up and 20-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas entered the clay court tournament this year, looking for redemption. He managed to produce a performance one better this year, storming all the way into the finals, before losing to Djokovic, once again, in a 5-setter, once again.
A set away from his first Major title, Tsitsipas had managed to keep Djokovic on the court for over two hours, combining both the clashes. Despite an eventual loss, and a miss on the chance to become the youngest player to win the immensely elusive clay court title, Tsitsipas has now expressed regret over the outcome. Post the second set, the current World No. 3 suddenly lost form, and didn’t regain it since, going down to the legend in 3 easy sets.
The Serb, who has proved time and again that in a battle of tenacity, he shall undoubtedly prevail, put up a gritty performance after being down two sets to love in the final round of the French Open. Broken twice in the first set, Djokovic pulled off a daring comeback, regaining his advantage, however Tsitsipas forced a tie-breaker, and eventually clinched the set. The second set saw a major step-up in the Greek’s game as he broke the Serbian World No. 1 twice, and pulled off the 2-0 with a stylish service winner.
“Wasted a 2 sets to love lead”: Tsitsipas about the French Open Final
The Greek sensation, who has stated repeated that he didn’t really quite understand what went wrong in the clash, lost his footing at what would have been the final set for him. Djokovic is known to superbly outplay his opponents in the later sets, and what the audience witnessed was testament to that. Entering the 3rd set a different player, the Serb dominated his serve, claiming the momentum of the match for himself. The next set was one-sided affair, with Djokovic owning the court completely, firing off 14 winners to leave his young opponent unsure of his footing.
As Tsitsipas struggled to catch up to the pace set by the Serb, errors rolled off his forehand and soon enough, he was broken. After an easy set, where Tsitsipas did manage to hold Djokovic for a deuce in the very last game, the Serbian member of the Big 3 claimed his 19th major title, making him a Golden Slam hopeful (that unfortunately did not materialize).
“I lost control of my game, and it’s unfortunate to finish on the losing side, as I missed an excellent opportunity. I played well, and I hope it will be better the next time around,” said the Greek player, who recently made headlines again, this time for bathroom regulations.
Also read: Watch: “AMAZING” Emma Raducanu started hitting breathtaking shots, only at 9 years of age!
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