Challenges Faced by Stefanos Tsitsipas: Obstacles and Turning Points

A closer look at the defining struggles that shaped Stefanos Tsitsipas's life and career.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is a highly successful Greek professional tennis player. He reached a career-high ranking of world No. 3, the highest ranking ever for a Greek player, tied with Maria Sakkari. Tsitsipas has secured twelve ATP Tour singles titles, including the prestigious 2019 ATP Finals and three Masters 1000 titles. He reached the finals of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open. His highest doubles ranking is No. 64, achieved in August 2022.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1998: Records 300th Career Win

In November 2023, Stefanos Tsitsipas recorded his 300th career win at the Paris Masters, becoming the first man born in 1998 and the seventh born in the 1990s or later to reach this milestone. He qualified for the ATP Finals but withdrew from the event due to a back injury and ended the season ranked world No. 6.

2018: Reaches Wimbledon Round of 16

During the summer grass season of 2023, Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon for the first time since 2018. His match against Dominic Thiem was ranked among the best Grand Slam matches of the year. However, he lost to Christopher Eubanks in the round of 16.

2018: Lowest Year-End Ranking Since 2018

In 2023, Stefanos Tsitsipas ended the year ranked world No. 11, his lowest year-end ranking since 2018. His performance in various tournaments, including losses in Shanghai, Antwerp, and Basel, contributed to him not qualifying for the ATP Finals.

2018: Earliest Defeat in Melbourne since 2018

In 2024, at the Australian Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas recorded his earliest defeat in Melbourne since 2018, with a first-round exit against Alex Michelsen. As a result, his ranking dropped to world No. 12.

2019: First hard court title since 2019

In 2024, Stefanos Tsitsipas won the title at the Dubai, defeating Félix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets, returning him to the top 10 with a ranking of world No. 9. In the process, he snapped his eleven match streak of losses in ATP 500 finals and won his twelfth tour-level title, his first on hard court title since 2019.

2020: Defeats Tiafoe at Olympics after Wimbledon loss

In 2020, Stefanos Tsitsipas experienced an early exit at Wimbledon, losing to Frances Tiafoe in the first round. He later avenged this loss by defeating Tiafoe in the second round of the 2020 Olympics. Tsitsipas also made history by becoming the first Greek man to win a singles match at the Olympic Games since 1924 with his first round win over Philipp Kohlschreiber.

2021: Reaches Quarterfinals at BNP Paribas Open and withdraws from ATP Finals

In 2021, Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open, defeating several players before losing to Nikoloz Basilashvili. Later in the year, at the ATP Finals, Tsitsipas lost to Andrey Rublev and subsequently withdrew from the tournament due to an elbow injury.

2022: Participates in ATP Finals and Wins Mubadala World Tennis Championship

In 2022, Stefanos Tsitsipas participated in the ATP Finals, losing to Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev, and failed to advance past the round robin stage. He ended the year on a positive note by winning the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

2022: Reaches Australian Open Semifinals

In 2022, Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the semifinals of the Australian Open for the third time. He faced Daniil Medvedev but lost in four sets. During the match, his father, Apostolos, received a coaching violation for coaching in Greek.

2022: Drops to World No. 7

In August 2023, Stefanos Tsitsipas lost finalist points from 2022, dropping to world No. 7. Before this, he won his tenth title at the Los Cabos Open. During the warm-up Masters to the US Open in Cincinnati, he complained about a nearby audience member imitating bee buzzing noises. At the US Open, he lost in the second round to Dominic Stricker.

2022: Reaches Finals at Astana Open and Stockholm Open, Masters Semifinals in Paris

In October 2022, Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the final of the Astana Open in Kazakhstan, losing to Novak Djokovic. He then reached his seventh final at the Stockholm Open but was defeated by Holger Rune. He also reached his fifth Masters semifinal for the season at the Paris Masters, losing to Novak Djokovic after recording his 60th win of the year.

2023: Reaches Barcelona Open Final

In 2023, Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the final of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, defeating multiple players before losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the championship match. Prior to this, he was defeated by Taylor Fritz in the Monte-Carlo Masters, leading to his drop in world ranking.