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US OPEN

August 27, 2019

Stefanos Tsitsipas

New York, NY, USA

A. RUBLEV/S. Tsitsipas

6-4, 6-7, 7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Loss of form? Cramps? Could you walk us through what happened, what you're feeling?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I'm not going to react again like in Wimbledon. That's the only thing I know.

Yeah, I mean, he played well. Didn't give me much options. I feel like I could have done more, but I don't really know how. But I feel like there was a gap there to execute another game plan.

I felt like he was always in control of his service games. I believe I didn't serve very well today, which affected the whole cycle of my game of how I feel from the baseline, how I feel at net. Not being able to win easy points on my serve affected kind of my psychology out on the court.

I believe I can do better. I really hope I do better next time. I wish him the best, because he deserves to go far and deep into the tournament.

Q. As you had the argument with the chair umpire, could you take us through what made you so upset? You were heard saying, 'You're all weirdos.' Who were you talking about?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: The chair umpire was very incorrect in what he was telling me during the match. I don't know what this chair umpire has in specific against my team but he's been complaining and telling me that my team talks all of the time when I'm out on the court playing. He's very -- I don't know. I believe he's not right, because I never hear anything of what my team says from the outside. And there is nothing that I personally believe can help my game or make me play better.

My father outside, who usually does the talking, he's trying to pump me up by saying, you know, Come on. Raising my confidence by not coaching but by trying to boost me up. I believe the coach for my opponent does the same thing, which is normal.

This chair umpire, I don't know, he has something against me. I don't know why.

Q. So you're saying the chair umpires were weirdos?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I wish that all the chair umpires were like Mohamed Lahyani because I believe he's the best out in the game, and we need more like him in tennis because he's fair to everyone. I feel like some of them have preferences when they are on the court.

Q. You said when you first got here you didn't want this to be like Wimbledon. I know the Wimbledon loss was very rough on you.
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I saw myself in that interview a couple of days later, and it didn't feel right. My reaction was too much. I mean, there are far worse things in life than losses, and that day felt like someone was in the grave.

I don't know why I got upset so much about that loss. I really wanted to go far at Wimbledon, and having bad practice sessions the day before that tournament made it worse.

Q. Just to be clear, when you got the coaching violation, did that kind of stick with you as you went forward and distract you?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Well, it's not very pleasant when you have the umpire give you warnings and time violations and coaching violations during a match. It can affect your thinking. It can affect your decision-making.

And I sometimes believe there is nothing to give there. I can tell you, I can tell my honest truth of what I feel, if I feel sometimes if my dad is coaching, I'm so concentrated in that match there is no way I'm going to think of what my dad tells me from the outside.

I just hear a buzz in my head. I can't hear anything. I'm not trying to concentrate on what my team is telling me from the outside because this is going to affect my game. And I try not to pay too much attention to it.

Q. A kind of word on your physical condition as a whole. Do you worry at all you have overplayed this year? Do you think you have the schedule right? Some of the top guys have said that it's important to learn how to schedule.
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Were there any players that had similar situations like mine?

Q. What do you mean?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I think I'm on a four-loss strike or something like that.

Q. You have played a lot of tennis all year.
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yeah, you can say that. I feel like I'm doing the same thing over and over again, and my brain can't really take it anymore. I feel like I'm doing the same routines on the court, the same execution, the same -- I mean, same strategies and everything. And I feel like my mind is just -- I don't feel inspired. I play out on the court, and I don't feel like I'm chasing something.

Q. Have you been able to put the French Open defeat behind you?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: It was difficult, to be honest. It's in the back of my head somewhere. I still feel it. I still feel the pain of that loss.

I'm trying to erase it from my memory and move on, because there were players with similar situations in the career which affected their career. I don't want to be that player. I want to be tough mentally, and I want to constantly improve, become better. I cannot let things like that get into the way.

Q. If you look back at the 2019 Grand Slam season as a whole, what is your verdict? Are you happy with all the four slams combined?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: What is what?

Q. The Grand Slam season is over. All the Grand Slams are behind you. What is your verdict on your season of the Grand Slams?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: My highlight?

Q. Just in general, what do you think of all the slams?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I wish I was a bit more consistent. I started the year incredibly well. Did semifinals. Now I understand how difficult it was, although I was very disappointed after that loss.

Semifinals in the Australian. Fourth round at the French. Could have been quarterfinals if I played a shot a little bit better. Fourth round and then two first-round losses in both Wimbledon and US Open.

I believe I could have done better, and I'm going to try to improve next year this consistency of playing well through all the Grand Slams and not having big curve, I would call it, in between the tournaments.

Q. What do you think you can do to get inspiration back? A lot of outside interests. Can that help you get inspiration? How do you do it?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Well, the thing is I remember achieving my career high of 5 in the world. I was really excited when I saw that No. 5 and my name next to it. Then I realized that coming -- in order to stay up there, I have to be very, very consistent during semifinals, finals, winning titles, and I don't know why that got in my brain a little bit.

Yeah, first-round, second-round losses are unacceptable anymore. Obviously you're going to drop in the rankings and then it becomes more professional in a way where you have to be, you know, you have to be playing well in all those tournaments and events.

I don't know where my ranking is going to be now. It has dropped pretty fast after that No. 5 career high. I will be -- I mean, I obviously want to get back there, and it feels great.

Q. When you play tournaments and you lose every week, how tough is that mentally? I mean, everybody loses every week except one player.
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Stan once said that, I think. I agree with him. You have to accept it and move on.

Q. Is that easy for you to do?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: It has become easier with a few experiences. Not just in tournaments but also with people. Talking to different people, analyzing things, I came to conclusion I should be more just overwhelmed by the fact that I'm able to compete against the best in those big events and those tournaments and hopefully do well in a few of those.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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