"Sometimes you have to take the pain just to feel alive" - Stefanos Tsitsipas left 'hurt' after crushing defeat to Ruud but feeling himself on court again

Stefanos Tsitsipas had shown the ability he used to showcase regularly on the court in years prior at the Madrid Open. After tumultuous results and early exits played their part in a sharp decline down the rankings, he will be diverting his gaze upwards after a positive Madrid Open, amid a frustrating end result.

Back on a favourable surface, the Greek was desperate for a bit of form. He caught the eye of many after defeating Alexander Bublik in straight sets. This came just before a tight first-round victory over Patrick Kypson, coming back from a set deficit and showing that fight and grit on the court. Following on from the Bublik win, he defeated Spanish talent Daniel Merida, hushing the home crowd but bringing delight to his camp as he rolled back the years.

He was hoping to continue his progress against a certain Casper Ruud, the reigning champion. The Norwegian dropped just five games in his opening two wins in convincing displays in the Spanish capital.

This tally was more than doubled after he was pushed hard by the former world number three. Tsitsipas forced a tiebreak in the first set, coming out on top. The scoreboard made for level reading an hour later, after a successive tiebreak went the way of the Norwegian.

The drama occurred in the third set. Tsitsipas was the first to break, surviving a grand total of eight break points in the games that surrounded it. On the Ruud serve, he then soared 15-40 to the good. A brace of match-winning opportunities were wasted as another tiebreak was created. Relieved to still be on the court, Ruud got the job done to win a thriller.

A devastated Tsitsipas will likely wallow and rue those missed match points for a first Masters 1000 quarterfinal since the Monte-Carlo Masters back in 2024. He took to social media to react to the loss, first showing a picture of a graph with fluctuating moods ranging from 'we are so back' to 'It's so over.'

He followed by tweeting: "It's not chasing success to impress. It's chasing it because you refuse to live a life that feels unfinished."

His latest post came the day after as he reflected on his return to form. "I felt like myself again on the court yesterday, which is why the outcome hurts. But sometimes you have to take the pain just to feel alive."

He sportingly congratulated his opponent and set his sights on the future. "Congrats to Casper - he’s a champion and I wish him the best in his title defense. The journey continues into Rome."

One tournament is a positive sign, but Tsitsipas knows that he needs to continue to replicate this form on clay, transferring it to grass and hardcourt for the rest of the year. He is not defending much thanks to his dreadful time on court over the last year.

Next, as noted in his tweet, is the Rome Open. Tsitsipas has reached the semi-final stage three times, ending up as a runner-up in 2022 against Novak Djokovic. He could only manage a third round showing his last year before being dumped out of Roland Garros in just the second round.

The risk is that these events could repeat itself if he is drawn against tricky opponents. Being as low-ranked as he is, there is always the possibility that one of the best players in the world could be waiting for him. Tsitsipas began the tournament in Madrid outside the top 80 but has climbed to 75th in the world. Baby footsteps at this current moment in time, but progress is a virtue at this point. He will look to replicate these performances in the Spanish capital for the rest of the tournaments in 2026.