"Usually I’m much tougher": Tsitsipas admits he isn't where he needs to be mentally after US Open exit
ATPThursday, 31 August 2023 at 08:30
Greece’s tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas has admitted that
his mental toughness is not where it should have been.
The 25-year-old suffered a shocking defeat in the second round
of the US Open against Switzerland’s Dominic Stephan Stricker in a five-set
thrilling contest with a score of 7-5, 6-7, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 on Wednesday.
While talking to the media after the match, the current
world number seven admitted that he is lacking in being mentally tough during
tough situations, something that was not the case before.
“I was not good enough to deliver and score good results,” he
said. “I won’t blame it on anything. It’s just poor performance after Los
Cabos. Had a tough transition to Toronto where I dealt with really bad jet lag
that I never had such kind of experience on tour.
“Had a very difficult match against Gael. I was actually
thinking of retiring in that particular occasion but I went in and hoped that I
can do something.
“I struggled with my movement today a lot, and it was the
main issue with my performance, I think. Movement wasn’t good at all. Although
I did have a match before in which my footwork and my balance was relatively
good. I wasn’t able to bring that into today’s match and be as consistent with
it.
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“I was off-balance, I was getting caught on wrong foot most
of the time. The court seemed a bit faster than Armstrong, but that is not an
excuse. It’s just that sometimes I had chances to hit the ball a bit, go for it
a bit more, and I felt like the ball would skid through the court a bit faster,
and it had me out of balance and I framed a few times.”
“Look, it hasn’t happened to me before. It’s the first time
for me. Usually I’m much tougher mentally, and I have shown it by coming back.
Even though sometimes I get broken serving for the match, let’s say, I still
find ways in the tiebreaker or perhaps in the fifth set if that has ever
happened.
“Today was not the case. I was not able to bounce back after
it. Not as strong. Yeah, just need to be looser.”
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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