Stefanos Tsitsipas has reached the Round of 32 at the Rome Open, but it was far from an easy task.
Facing an in-form Jan-Lennard Struff, who does have a clay-court title to his name from this year, the big-serving German posed an awkward task.
However, things were made no easier when he broke Tsitsipas in the very first game, prompting an explosive reaction from the Green tennis player.
Taking that fury out on his racquet, he obliterated it into the advertising board at the back of the court, narrowly missing an onlooking ball boy.
He would naturally refocus and go on to enjoy a comeback 6-7(1) 6-4 6-4 win, but it was far from smooth.
Stefanos Tsitsipas reacts after Rome Open win
Speaking to Eurosport after the win, he did seem quite apologetic about that flashpoint early on in the match.
He sought to explain what was going on in his head, and without explicitly referring to the racquet break, this felt like a reaction to that moment.
He noted: ‘I can’t really process what happened. There was a lot of attention, a lot of emotions, a lot of fighting; it was insane.
‘I really don’t know what worked and what didn’t, I just tried to win the match and the outcome was beyond spectacular. I managed to come back and get over those really difficult moments.
‘I really don’t know what I was doing out on the court until the middle of the second set.
‘I felt really lost out there and I don’t think I’ve felt this way in a long time. It was really difficult dealing with emotions like this and I don’t think I’ve had a match in my life that had so many negative emotions that overtook me; it was a very tricky and weird situation.’
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ reaction could suggest a deeper struggle
As the 25-year-old eludes to, he is dealing with plenty of emotions at the moment.
Tennis is a sport where the mental battle is the toughest part, and as many of the professional stars have outlined, losing that will inevitably lose you the match.
Tsitsipas had showcased impressive fortitude over the last month, winning the Monte Carlo Masters before then reaching the final in Barcelona, but new did break just last week that he and his long-time partner Paula Badosa had split up.
The two were arguably the tennis power couple and had been for many years, with their relationship a refreshing and upbeat facet of a sport otherwise lacking that kind of drama or intrigue.
So, to see that cut short is undoubtedly going to cause some issues, and he will know better than anyone that this was an unhealthy way to deal with them.
Hopefully, he can come to terms with his inner turmoil soon and continue his hot streak on the court.
After all, he remains in the running to win a hugely weakened Rome Open draw, which would certainly help him with a timely boost.
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