AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 13, 2025

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Press Conference

A. MICHELSEN/S. Tsitsipas

7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Tough luck, Stef. Was there anything in Alex's game that surprised you today?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: It was a difficult first-round match. I knew I was dealing with a pretty serious opponent because I've played him before, and I have lost. So I knew coming into this match that things don't suddenly change. He's someone that there is reason he beat me in our previous encounter.

So I knew I had to be on top of my game to try and win this match. I had a very slow start to the match. In terms of finding my movements and just dominating from the serve plus one, it wasn't really the way I'm expecting it to work. That led to some frustration and, let's say, insecurity in terms of approaching my game.

You know, these are important shots in tennis, and if you are not able to deliver them at your highest intensity, that's really difficult. I also felt like I didn't have enough power in my shot today, so I ended up playing a bit more and kind of having to work twice or three times more every single point to try to win it.

I just hope I'm able to retrieve that back and use that as a strength that I have within my game.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can I ask about the Tennis Australia's innovation with the coaching part? You have had experience with just one match now. Have you got a view of whether you like the idea or whether it's too early to tell?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: It's not something that bothers me right now. It's not something I have been thinking about since the match has been finished.

I have no comments on it. I hope they're happy with the new change. I have more serious things to think about now than the pod.

Q. Casper mentioned in November that he felt like sort of the game had changed, and he had to make some big changes in his game in terms of how he was brought up and playing. I'm just sort of curious, is that stuff that you've pondered that with this sort of new generation of players, that to keep up with them, the game has shifted?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: When I came around in 2018, the game was very different to what it is now. It wasn't as physical. I've had wins over Novak, and I felt like I played well, and I didn't have to kind of exceed the most extreme version of myself in that particular match.

I remember it quite fondly and intensely. The game has shifted more towards a physical game. I feel like the margins become smaller, meaning that you're not getting as many free points. I feel like innovation has stepped in and allowed players to serve even bigger than before. I definitely put emphasis on that.

When I played years ago, I felt like it was less powerful in general, the game. It was still physical, but it was not as big as it is now. So I do feel like power has taken over, meaning that everyone can hit hard now. You just have to be precise as well, combine those two, and you have the ultimate player.

Q. As an extension of that, you've had a lot of success at this particular tournament over the years, semifinals, final. You made your big breakthrough beating Roger here. I just wonder, do you feel differently within yourself now to maybe when you were 20 and it was, I guess, new?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yeah, for sure I had a fresher mind back then. It seemed like I was hungrier in a completely different way than I am now.

I would definitely say that one thing that stood out the most back then is that I had this hunger to try and make a life out of tennis and to try to have a good beginning in my tennis career and my tennis journey. It's different than it is now.

I've been quite well-established in the last couple of years, and I have seen the game, and I have seen all variations of games around the tour. I've done the tour over and over again, the same circle of tournaments and events. I've experienced what it is to be on the ATP Tour. I feel like there was a different energy, a different dynamic back then.

I would actually say that I'm a better player now than I was back then. So even though I'm losing now and I'm not at my best, I feel like I'm much better as a player than back then where I felt like my shots were not as heavy in terms of topspin. I was playing much more flat and much more through the court.

I feel like such thing now wouldn't work as effectively as it did back then.

Q. How do you plan to regroup and regain your confidence after this early exit? I mean, Alcaraz talks about sometimes taking some breaks, depending how you feel on the tournament. Is that an option for you, choosing a little bit what to play or not?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I have no idea. I haven't discussed this with my team, so I don't know what my plans are.

The most frustrating part about losing in the first round of a Grand Slam is that you have way too much time to recover, and I would rather have the other way around where I don't have enough time to recover. Honestly that's much, much better in terms of problem-solving.

It just sucks in a way that I'll be around, hanging around, for quite a while now before my next tournament comes in. With my competitive nature, I feel like these type of things are not really ideal for me.

I'll try and play Davis Cup. That's my next event, tennis event, that I have. I hope things go well there. Then it's the Middle East that pops up on the calendar, and that's going to be in quite a few weeks from now. So I have plenty of time.

Q. Stefanos, you pulled out of the doubles right before the draw was released. Was there a reason for that, and how are you feeling physically?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Well, it's quite ironic. My whole role was to try to go deep into the Australian Open. I knew the first thing I had to consider was not play doubles.

I guess karma hit me. I was not able to deliver or play the way I was hoping to at this year's event. The whole purpose was just to save up on some energy and be fresher hopefully in the deeper draw of the tournament.

Q. What do you think about the new player box on court, especially with realtime statistics?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: What statistic?

Q. The statistic with the coach. It's new.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: It's great. It's good for tennis, and I hope it continues.