US OPEN

September 3, 2021

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/S. Tsitsipas

6-3, 4-6, 7-6, 0-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on the match.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Great start by his side. In the beginning of the first set, came really strong. Ball speed was incredible. I've never seen someone hit the ball so hard. Took time to adjust. Took time to kind of develop my game around his game style.

It's one of these matches and one of these feelings where, you know, you pick up at some point of the match, you feel like you're in control, and it doesn't really go your way at the end.

It's kind of bitter, I would say, especially after such an incredible fourth set by my side, dominating, being just so aggressive, not dwelling on the past. It was a great fourth set.

I don't know. I felt like he played the fifth one completely -- the way he played the first set basically, careless, going for every single shot. I have never seen someone play such a good fifth set, honestly.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You were mentioning his ball speed. How impressive was it for you to see how he sort of maintained his calm after the fourth set, especially during the circumstances and the crowd, all of that?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: He dealt with it really well. I mean, that's something that's going to reach the top and make him the player that he is. It was supposed to be my match. Today was a match that I shouldn't have lost. I can only learn from it.

He's young. He fought, he never give up. I had my opportunities in the third set, lost them. Was it in the third set? 7-6, yeah.

I feel if I would have won that third set, I don't know if his psychology would be the same and the attitude. You saw what happened in the fourth. I was literally flying.

Q. Is it possible to have a sense of what his potential is?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: A hundred percent. I said he can be a contender for Grand Slam titles. He has the game to be there.

Q. What, if anything, surprised you about his game the most?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: His consistency. I mean, I was returning pretty deep, applying pressure on my returns. I don't know how much harder I need to hit my return in order to apply pressure.

But he felt to be dealing with it really well, comfortably, hitting winners after the first return of mine, just being so much in control, which was surprising, especially in the fifth set. I didn't expect him to raise his level so much, especially after having lost the fourth set this way. He was a completely different player. I don't know if the physio helped him or anything, but he seemed to be another player.

Q. I'd like to ask you a tough but honest question. You're a beautiful athlete, bring creativity to the court. Today you not only lost a key match, but this has been a very tough time for your reputation. You got booed out there. Do you have any sense of what has occurred? Have you reflected on it? Do you have any thoughts or regrets?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Look, I'm not pretending that everyone loves me. I don't want to be -- my intentions are not to be loved by everyone. Every person can choose their favorite player, pick a side. I felt that way, but I kind of have ignored it.

Because people don't know, that's the thing. When people are not really in the sport and don't know what is happening, I mean, all these accusations have been completely false. The one in my match in Cincinnati, which was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life. Yeah, that was -- I don't know what to say. I mean, that really shows the level of the person that said it.

Then the crowd here, I guess these two things were the most intense that took place here. I was surprised, I mean, in a way. I mean, I don't really let myself take me down because I'm out there playing my game. I mean, fan support is important, but I just need to go out there and perform. It doesn't matter at that point.

I know all of these things have been against me for no reason. I took my toilet break as a normal athlete. Might have taken a bit longer than other athletes. But if there is a rule that says there's a specific amount of time that you are allowed to take, then I would probably try and follow that protocol, that rule, and stay within the guidelines and try and follow it as much as possible.

But I feel like, you know, people, they don't understand. They are here for the show. They want to watch tennis. They're very impatient, especially the new generation. They just want to get it done quick.

For me the only thing I did is change from wet clothes to dry clothes. Apparently it's a huge issue. Especially -- actually not especially.

When no one discusses other things such as players taking more time than they're allowed to take, that has been an issue for me in the past playing against these players, getting cold, not feeling my game, having to wait more than 30, 35 seconds in between serves that I had -- in one of my matches here I had to wait very long time between first and second serve.

I didn't complain. There is not a rule for that that says how much time you have to take between two serves. But I respected it.

Then you have, yeah, these players that everyone knows they're taking so much time but no one says anything. I don't know why everyone suddenly is against me, especially when other players don't follow rules and don't stick within 25 seconds between play.