"I think something clicked during this US Open": Progress is the word for Stefanos Tsitsipas as coach lauds Greek ace's rise again

Saturday, 19 September 2026 at 21:00

After two years of injury struggles and coaching changes, Stefanos Tsitsipas continued to return back towards his best at the US Open. While a fourth round might not be the best on paper, it marks a real change in the psyche for him.

Tsitsipas plummeted outside the top 80 and is now 44th in the ATP Rankings and had his best Grand Slam run this year and best-ever finish in New York.

Not many would have predicted Tsitsipas to advance past the first round after facing off against Arthur Fils. But he won in four sets and went on to beat Lloyd Harris and Jiri Lehecka before eventually falling to Ben Shelton.

Tsitsipas' run at the US Open came after he appointed a new coaching team which ironically includes Patrick Mouratoglou. The 56-year-old Frenchman spoke on his YouTube channel and looked to the positives when it came to Tsitsipas.

“So what was done? First of all, come to the match with a good plan, and I think he had a very good plan," said Mouratoglou on his YouTube channel.

“I’m talking about strategically. And second, make sure he would compete well.

Patirck Mouratoglou looking on.

“And I think the way he was talking to himself in the previous weeks was not the ideal way because I was looking at the matches, and from the start to the end, he was a better player at the start than he was at the end.

“This is a sign that the player is not talking to himself in a way that lifts his level up, but drags himself down. And he was able to change the way he was talking to himself during that match.

“We spoke about it before. That was key, and it was key that he kept doing this throughout the whole tournament. And the last key is his slice backhand, which is something that he was not using that much.

“I think in the past, his slice backhand was floating a little bit. He made incredible progress there. And the fact that he was able every time to slice very low, very fast, very deep, and was giving him the chance to run around his backhand and use his forehand more often. So that was also one very tactical asset to his game.”

Mouratoglou pleased with progress

Speaking as his coach, he was pleased with what he has done and said that something clicked during that point at the US Open. “I’m happy about his progress,” said Mouratoglou.

“I think he made very good progress because he’s very focused, he’s working hard, and I’m also proud of the way he competed, which was also something that was a bit missing in the previous month and even weeks, because he competed extremely well.

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“I think something clicked during this US Open, and I’m happy to see that. I’m sure that he’s going to bring this new Stefanos to the next tournaments, the Asian Swing and the whole indoor season.”

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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