The clay courts of the Mutua Madrid Open, typically a haven for Stefanos Tsitsipas, have instead become a battleground for the Greek tennis star in 2025. Once heralded as a successor to Roger Federer’s elegance, the 26-year-old has found himself mired in a perplexing slump, his signature forehand faltering and his confidence shaken. After a disheartening loss to Lorenzo Musetti in the third round, Tsitsipas laid bare his struggles, confessing a troubling disconnect with his game. “I have no confidence in my forehand, something very strange, something I’m not used to,” he admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. “My shots are really average right now.”
Tsitsipas, a three-time Monte-Carlo Masters champion and former French Open finalist, entered the clay season with high expectations. His affinity for the surface, where he feels “very confident when I step on the dirt,” has historically yielded some of his finest moments, including three Masters 1000 titles. Yet, the 2025 clay swing has been a stark departure from his past triumphs. After an early exit in Monte-Carlo and a failure to advance beyond the quarterfinals in any clay event, Tsitsipas now languishes at world No. 19, a far cry from his career-high of No. 3. His latest defeat to Musetti, a 7-5, 7-6(3) thriller, marked the second time in under a month that the Italian has bested him, amplifying concerns about the Greek’s form.
The Madrid Open loss was particularly galling. Tsitsipas, who had shown flashes of resilience in overcoming Jan-Lennard Struff in an earlier round, appeared to unravel against Musetti. “I feel like I’m not doing enough damage with my return, that when I return I don’t have the confidence that the ball will do enough damage,” he said, pinpointing a critical flaw in his game. The forehand, once a weapon that drew comparisons to Federer’s fluid versatility, has become a source of doubt. “It’s frustrating because I know I have the ability to play like that, to put pressure, both on my return and on the exchange,” Tsitsipas added. “Right now I’m a bit lost. I need time to see which way to go.”
This crisis of confidence comes at a pivotal moment. Tsitsipas’ 2025 season has been a rollercoaster, with a first-round upset at the Australian Open against Alex Michelsen and a shock loss to an injured Hamad Medjedovic in Doha. Fans, once hopeful that Tsitsipas would carry the mantle of the single-handed backhand into a new era, have grown vocal in their disappointment. “Tsitsipas is a lost cause,” one observer lamented, reflecting a sentiment that the Greek’s potential remains unfulfilled. His earlier triumph in Dubai, where a new racquet sparked a brief resurgence, now feels like a distant memory. “I feel like there is a notch that I’ve added to my game in terms of speed, in terms of RPMs, in terms of power,” he had said then, buoyed by the change. But that optimism has faded on the red dirt of Madrid.
Off the court, Tsitsipas’ coaching situation adds another layer of uncertainty. After parting ways with his father, Apostolos, last summer, he has been guided by Dimitris Chatzinikolaou. Yet, Apostolos has reappeared in his box during recent matches, and rumors of a potential collaboration with Goran Ivanisevic remain unconfirmed. “I can neither confirm nor deny,” Tsitsipas said when pressed about the speculation, leaving his support structure in limbo. This instability, coupled with a possible backhand injury that surfaced during the United Cup, has compounded his on-court woes. Against Alexander Shevchenko in that tournament, Tsitsipas struggled, with “a simple down-the-line shot” repeatedly catching him off guard, a sign of deeper technical and mental struggles.
Despite these setbacks, Tsitsipas’ resolve remains. Known for his philosophical outlook and a near-death experience in Crete that instilled a fearless approach, he is no stranger to adversity. “I want to achieve big things that I haven’t achieved in the past,” he declared during Wimbledon 2024, pushing back against critics who questioned his focus. As he prepares for the Italian Open on May 9, 2025, Tsitsipas faces a critical juncture. The French Open, where he reached the final in 2021, looms as an opportunity to reclaim his clay-court prowess. For now, though, the Greek star must navigate a path through doubt, seeking to rediscover the spark that once made him a formidable force.
Leave a Reply