“I’m not the player I used to be” – Tsitsipas’ struggles continue with US Open first-round loss

Nothing is going well for Stefanos Tsitsipas at the moment. But this latest setback – a defeat to Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round of the US Open – feels particularly worrisome. It has left the current world No 11 nostalgic for his past greatness.

“I’m not the player I used to be,” a dejected Tsitsipas told press after the loss.

“When I was younger, I had such intensity on the court and the impression that my life depended on every match. Everything has eased and my level of consistency has also declined. I remember that my concentration was at the top at the time, but today that’s not the case.

“I need to get back that hunger I had because it gave a lot of joy to my tennis. I don’t know why it’s gone down like that for the last two months, or even I want to say a year or two. I guess I just managed to hide it better and do better with it.”

Tsitsipas arrived in New York in less than ideal circumstances after a public rant against his father in Montreal followed by a reshuffle that saw his father relieved of his role as coach.

The problems of the Tsitsipas’ father-son duo are not new, but were masked well by good results. This season, the weaknesses of this partnership were laid bare and Tsitsipas now faces a crossroads as to how he wants to proceed.

In one of the adjoining conference rooms and surrounded by only a handful of reporters, Tsitsipas finally admitted what most observes had suspected for months – his form is in freefall.

Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and even his quarter-final at Roland-Garros looked more like exceptions than a revival. His ball no longer flies on the forehand, his serve no longer bites, his game plans are seen and solved, his intensity has declined. What for? How? Tsitsipas is looking for answers.

“Frankly, I don’t know. I’m not an expert, I’m not a psychologist or a psychiatrist, but I’ve had these discussions already with some people and I really think I’m having a kind of long burnout,” he continued.

“I’ve felt that way since the beginning of the year. The impression also that it’s the type of burnout that, whether you take a break or not, stays there because it’s too late. It’s something that I don’t let go, whether I play or not.”

At 26 years old, the former world No 3 and two-time Grand Slam finalist is being left further and further behind by the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

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“What I’m most worried about at the moment is getting into this dynamic of victories and consistency in the last rounds of major tournaments like the Masters 1000.

“I remember how strong I felt when I was able to replicate that every week. At the moment, I’m way too far from that level to achieve it.

“I have to get back to winning ways. In that match (against Kokkinakis), I found good strategies, good approaches to the net and I was aggressive, I took my chances, but I don’t have that solidity anymore that allows you not to have to work as hard because you do everything a little better.”

Tsitsipas is only at the beginning of a potentially career-saving period of soul-searching. Let’s hope that this time it works for him.

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