Remember Stefanos Tsitsipas‘ debut Laver Cup performance in Geneva 2019? Although he failed to claim a victory in doubles with Roger Federer, his singles victory against Taylor Fritz caught fans’ attention. Tsitsipas, who represents Team Europe, has played in four of the seven editions of the Laver Cup, but a closer look at his recent performances reveals a troubling trend. Even after Team Europe’s victory in the event, a prominent journalist for The Athletic, Charlie Eccleshare, shared his opinion on Tsitsipas’ current form. Has he reached a crossroads?
The World No. 11 player, Stefanos Tsitsipas, arrived in Berlin after a disappointing first-round defeat at the hands of Thanasi Kokkinakis, hoping to revive his career in the Laver Cup. Surprisingly, he faced the same opponent in the opening round, battled with all his grit, and finished with a score of 6-1, 6-4! But it was a fleeting moment of glory for the Greek player, who has been struggling to find his form since his Monte Carlo Masters triumph and has reached only one quarterfinal in a Grand Slam this year (the French Open). Therefore, even after partnering with Casper Ruud in the doubles in Berlin, he failed to claim a victory in the opening round against Ben Shelton and Alejandro Tabilo.
Closely observing this decline in his form, journalist Eccleshare, who covered the event in Berlin, appeared in the Tennis Podcast’s September 23rd episode and shared his reflections while describing different players’ performances in the Laver Cup. “The fact that Tsitsipas ended up in that role for Europe, I think, you can kind of track Tsitsipas’ trajectory as a player by his importance in Laver Cup. There have been editions where he’s been a central part of Team Europe and this time he was used on the opening day and he was in an absolutely terrible doubles choice with Casper Ruud.”
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Adding how both the players are not “good returners,” he further stated, “And they put them both together in doubles and it was an absolute horror show. But that was Tsitsipas’ role. He was used to making up a doubles team and used on the opening day and I think it kind of shows how far he has fallen.” Although he praised Tsitsipas for his “good” opening round, Eccleshare pointed out the decline of “faith” in his performance. However, in the Laver Cup singles, he has a 4-1 win/loss record, which is only more than Federer’s and Alexander Zverev’s records in the event.
Moreover, Tsitsipas, who has endured quite a number of early-round exits after his clay-court season, relieved his father of the coaching responsibilities a few weeks ago. While he displayed concern about Tsitsipas’ recent form, Stefanos Tsitsipas had a different perspective to share after his singles victory in Berlin.
Stefanos Tsitsipas opens up on his excitement about playing in the Laver Cup
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After Stefanos Tsitsipas cruised past the Australian player Kokkinakis in straight sets (6-1, 6-4), he shared his thoughts on performing in the Laver Cup. Widely perceived as an “exhibition match” in the tennis world due to the event’s inability to provide ranking points for the players, the Laver Cup often faces scrutiny. However, some say playing these matches is a matter of “pride,” while others enjoy the “team” effort put into the matches in this event. Stefanos Tsitsipas has made his perspective clear on this subject.
“We have an incredible group of players and great captains guiding us. I get more excited about a competition like the Laver Cup than any other tournament of the year. It brings out the best in me and I have always felt that I relate very well to the concept.” He further added how he enjoys playing in these matches, where he gets the opportunity to learn and grow as a player. While his inconsistent performance might have raised eyebrows in the tennis world, Tsitsipas seems ready to overcome all challenges and learn more!