Stefanos Tsitsipas says he 'trains more than ever' despite poor form

Stefanos Tsitsipas - Shanghai Masters 2023

October 18, 2023

ATP Tennis Players, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Tennis News

Stefanos Tsitsipas claims he ‘trains more than ever’ despite poor form

Stefanos Tsitsipas has hit back at claims that he is ‘no longer focussed on tennis’, with the Greek looking to win back-to-back matches for the first time since the beginning of August.

Tsitsipas won the Las Cabos title just over two months ago, but since then he has struggled for form and has continued to make changes to his coaching setup.

Tsitsipas crowned in Los Cabos 🏆
Stefanos ends his wonderful Mexican week by claiming his 1st title of the year beating Alex De Minaur 6-3 6-4
10th career's title for Greece's player 🙌 pic.twitter.com/TtwTlAb0l3
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) August 6, 2023

The Australian Open finalist reunited his coaching relationship with Mark Philippoussis in Mexico, but revealed in Shanghai that it had come to an end after claiming he was losing his ‘identity’.

His father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, has since regained his position as head coach, but it did not help the world No.7 overcome Ugo Humbert at the Masters 1000 event last week.

However, Stefanos Tsitsipas has suggested that patches of bad form are just part of being a professional tennis player.

“There are always going to be moments like this, and I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be the last time something like this happens,” explained Tsitsipas. Speaking of which, yes, these last few weeks perhaps even two months haven’t been that great and my level of performance hasn’t been delivering up to my standards.

The 25-year-old continued, “And I do feel it. I do feel the disappointment and I do feel the need to get better. I have been working a lot of hours on the court. We still in the time, through difficult times we grow in. And I try to see it from the from the bright side, even though it hurts a little bit.”

Alongside his coaching changes, some have suggested that his relationship with former WTA No.2 Paula Badosa has also been a distraction.

But, Tsitsipas has completely shut down those claims, “People who claim that I am no longer focussed on tennis, I train more than I ever did in my career. I don’t want to prove anything to anyone, except to myself, to prove to myself that I am capable of regaining my level. I believe in it.”

Tsitsipas will look to return to form this week as the top seed at the European Open in Antwerp, as he eyes a spot in the ATP Finals once again.

Inside the baseline…

It has been a tricky couple of months for Tsitsipas, but the positive thing is that he still has time to finish on a high in the latter stages of the 2023 season. The Greek is scheduled to compete in Antwerp, Vienna and Paris, in a bid to confirm his qualification to the ATP Finals for a fifth consecutive year.