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Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered a 10th straight finals loss at the ATP 500 level on Sunday, falling to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 Barcelona Open.
Tsitsipas continues to remain winless against the Spaniard after four meetings on tour. The Greek also recorded his third runner-up finish in Barcelona, having previously lost to Nadal in the 2018 and 2021 editions.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, however, Tsitsipas did not show any signs of despair, instead joking with Alcaraz to "take it easy." He also congratulated the World No. 2 on his "amazing achievement," recalling the time he watched the youngster in action back when he first arrived on scene.
"Carlos, take it easy, hermano. Take it easy. Just, sharing is caring, you know? Jokes aside, uh, congratulations Once again, uh, for the 30th time, I don't know, a lot of them. Congrats on this amazing achievement. You know, I've had the opportunity to see you a few years ago," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.
"For the very first time when you first got introduced on the ATP Tour, I saw you play a little bit. I mean, you know, as, some of us guys that were on the tour a little bit earlier than you. I think most of us were fascinated by your tennis. So I would like to congratulate you on this amazing build up that you have been putting in the last few years," he added.
Despite being older than the 19-year-old Alcaraz, the 24-year-old Tsitsipas referred to the Spaniard as an "example" for him and others of his generation. He added that Alcaraz was pushing them all to become better with his effervescent tennis.
"It's very impressive, and, you know, I think it's fair enough to say that we see you as an example. Even though we are slightly older than you, we see your achievements as something that will hopefully push us to do better. And of course, your team that has been dedicating and putting so much [effort]," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.
Stefanos Tsitsipas then wished everyone in Barcelona a happy 'Sant Jordi' -- a romantic mix of World Book Day and Valentine's Day celebrated across Catalonia. The Greek joked that he liked it more than conventional Valentine's Day, before thanking his team and everyone who worked to make the Barcelona Open possible.
"I would like to wish everyone a Happy Sant Jordi. It's a great celebration. Don't tell anyone, but I prefer it much more than Valentine's Day and I think it's time to thank all the people, my people and the people that made this tournament for the 17th time possible, which is an incredible number, if you ask me," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.
"I'd like to thank all the organisers for, of course, putting all this together, bringing all the sponsors and the kids and the drivers. And every single person who added even 1% to this. I'd like to thank you for bringing this to Barcelona every single year. This is one of my favourite destinations to come to play tennis. So thank you for the invitation," he added.
Stefanos Tsitsipas dedicates Barcelona Open runner-up run to childhood coach back home in Greece
Stefanos Tsitsipas reserved special thanks for his team during the runner-up speech, declaring that he was grateful to them for the successes as well as the failures they have shared along the way.
"And, of course, the team that follows for almost 52 weeks of the year. Thank you so much for your commitment. Thank you so much for, uh, you know, the failures, the successes, everything we've been through together. You know, this is what we always dreamt of. This is all the moments that we worked towards, and I'm happy that we can be sharing this together, even on the podium as a runner-up. It's still pretty good, too," Tsitsipas said.
Finally, Tsitsipas dedicated his finalist trophy to his childhood coach in Greece, hailing him for making him the player he is today. While he hasn't talked to him much of late, the World No. 5 expressed hope he can come back with his coach and win the Barcelona Open some time in the future.
"Last but not least, I would like to thank my coach back home in Greece, that I haven't seen in a while, for making me the player that I am today. I don't speak about him too often, but I'd like to dedicate this moment to him. So, hopefully one day we can come back and win the tournament. This is a big dream of mine. Thank you, everyone," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.
