Stefanos Tsitsipas will now have to do something for the first time in his career.
Tsitsipas recently ended his coaching relationship with his father prior to Wimbledon this year, with Thomas Perrin taking over this role.
This switch has been rewarded, as Tsitsipas won his first title in 16 months at the Swiss Open in Gstaad.
Tsitsipas made a significant jump up the rankings as a result of this, but he will still have to play qualifying at a big upcoming tournament.
Stefanos Tsitsipas will have to play qualifying at the Cincinnati Open
Tsitsipas is currently the world number 51, having climbed 34 places in the rankings after winning the Swiss Open.
This ranking would have been high enough to give him direct entry into the Cincinnati Open, but Tsitsipas’ resurgence came after the direct entry cut-off.
As a result, Tsitsipas will likely be the top seed for the Cincinnati Open this year, as he has to play qualifying at the Masters 1000 tournament for the first time.
Tsitsipas is in the same position for the Canadian Open, which takes place earlier than the Cincinnati Open.
This is a new experience for Tsitsipas, who is a two-time Grand Slam finalist and was once ranked as highly as world number three.
The positive for Tsitsipas is that he will not have to play qualifying at the US Open, with his direct entry position confirmed for the New York major.
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Could Stefanos Tsitsipas get a wildcard for the Cincinnati Open?
Although Tsitsipas is on the qualifying list for the Cincinnati Open right now, his chances of getting into the main draw are not over just yet.
Given his previous status in the sport, Tsitsipas will likely be one of the leading contenders for the potential six wildcards on offer.
Tsitsipas also has an advantage over other players wanting a wildcard, as he is a former finalist at the Cincinnati Open, having lost to Borna Coric in the 2022 final.
| Year | Stefanos Tsitsipas’ result at the Cincinnati Open |
| 2018 | First Round |
| 2019 | Second Round |
| 2020 | Semi-final |
| 2021 | Semi-final |
| 2022 | Final |
| 2023 | Third Round |
| 2024 | Second Round |
| 2025 | Third Round |
Regardless of whether Tsitsipas does get a wildcard for the Cincinnati Open this year, there is already a significant contrast in his current position in the sport.
Tsitsipas had been a seeded player in his last seven appearances of the Cincinnati Open, but he may not even make it into the main draw this year.
What is confirmed is that Tsitsipas’ next tournament is the Washington Open, having received a wildcard for next week’s ATP 500 event.
