Stefanos Tsitsipas has reflected on the difficult period of his career he is in at the moment.
Tsitsipas is a two-time Grand Slam finalist, but he has not been past the quarterfinals of a major since losing in the 2023 Australian Open final.
The Greek has not even been past the second round of a major since the 2024 French Open, with Tsitsipas particularly struggling last year.
After winning his first round match at the Rotterdam Open, Tsitsipas admitted that he actually stopped enjoying playing tennis last year.
Stefanos Tsitsipas admits he stopped enjoying tennis last year
Tsitsipas has struggled with a back injury in recent months, and only played in the Davis Cup after the US Open last year.
This was even an issue before then, including for Tsitsipas’ victory at the Dubai Tennis Championships, something he told Bolavip after his first win in Rotterdam.
Despite returning to regular competition at the start of the 2026 season, Tsitsipas admitted that this uncertainty still remains.
“I experienced a lot of uncertainty for many months,” said Tsitsipas. “Even when I won the tournament in Dubai, I wasn’t sure if I could sustain that level or even continue playing. It kept getting worse during the spring, and eventually, I stopped enjoying the game.
“The game becomes less important, and health becomes the most important thing in your life. Even earlier this year, I still had a lot of uncertainty about my future.”
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Stefanos Tsitsipas provides update on his ongoing back injury
Tsitsipas beat Shanghai Masters finalist Arthur Rinderknech in his first round match at the Rotterdam Open, beating the Frenchman 7-5 6-3.
While this appeared to be a positive sign in terms of his fitness, Tsitsipas admitted that his back is still very much an ongoing issue.
“It felt very odd and frustrating because I couldn’t do much,” said Tsitsipas. My back is like it is, and there are only so many things I can do.
“If it refuses to heal, all I can do is wait and consult as many specialists as possible.”
How would you solve the tennis injury crisis?
Tsitsipas is currently the world number 32, and could do with the ranking points in Rotterdam this week if he is to get anywhere near his previous heights.
However, an early exit in Rotterdam could put him in danger of his lowest ranking in years, as Tsitsipas soon has 500 points to defend from his victory in Dubai last year.
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