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 accomplished Greek professional tennis player, achieving a career-high ranking of world No. 3, the highest for any Greek tennis player alongside Maria Sakkari. He has secured twelve ATP Tour singles titles, including the prestigious 2019 ATP Finals and three Masters 1000 titles. Tsitsipas has also reached two Grand Slam finals, at the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open. Additionally, he attained a doubles ranking of No. 64.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1998: 300th Career Win

In November, Tsitsipas recorded his 300th career win and became the first man born in 1998 and the seventh born in the 1990s or later to reach 300 career wins. He qualified for the ATP Finals but withdrew due to a back injury and ended the season at world No. 6.

2018: Earliest defeat in Melbourne since 2018

At the Australian Open, 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.

2018: Lowest Year-End Ranking Since 2018

Tsitsipas ended the year ranked world No. 11, his lowest year-end ranking since 2018.

2018: Reaches Round of 16 at Wimbledon

Tsitsipas reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon for the first time since 2018, after playing marathon matches. He ultimately lost to Christopher Eubanks in five sets.

2019: Failed to Repeat Success

In the 2019 Australian Open, Tsitsipas failed to repeat his success of 2019, losing in the 3rd round.

2019: Elimination from ATP Finals

Tsitsipas was unable to defend his 2019 ATP Finals title, being eliminated during the round-robin portion with a 1-2 record.

2021: US Open and ATP Finals

At the 2021 US Open, Tsitsipas reached the third round. At the 2021 BNP Paribas Open he reached the quarterfinals. At the 2021 ATP Finals, Tsitsipas lost to Andrey Rublev before withdrawing due to an elbow injury.

2021: Paris Olympics

In 2021, at the Paris Olympics, Tsitsipas became the first Greek tennis player to reach the quarterfinals stage at the Games since tennis returned to the program in 1988. He lost to Djokovic in the quarterfinal match.

2022: ATP Finals and Mubadala World Tennis Championship

At the 2022 ATP Finals, Tsitsipas lost to Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev, failing to advance past the round robin stage. He ended the year by winning the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

2022: Reaches Semifinals at Australian Open

At the 2022 Australian Open, Tsitsipas reached the semifinals for the third time, facing Daniil Medvedev. He lost in four sets and received a coaching violation due to his father's actions.

2022: Astana Open, Stockholm Open, and Paris Masters

In October 2022, Tsitsipas reached the final of the Astana Open but lost to Novak Djokovic. He then reached the final at the Stockholm Open but was defeated by Holger Rune. Later, he reached the semifinals of the Paris Masters, losing to Novak Djokovic.

2022: Dropping finalist points from 2022

Tsitsipas dropped finalist points from 2022 after losing to Hubert Hurkacz, thus dropping to world No. 7.

2023: Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open

In 2023, at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Tsitsipas, the two-time defending champion, was defeated in the quarterfinals. At the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, he reached the final, losing to Carlos Alcaraz.