"I still want to be the best" - Stefanos Tsitsipas refuses to make excuses in emotional admission after French Open heartbreak

Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed out of the 2025 French Open in the second round on Wednesday, May 28, losing in four sets to Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante. Following his loss, the Greek made a heartfelt admission about still wanting to monopolize the top-most rungs of men's tennis, while also insisting that he would find "solutions" for his ongoing slump soon.

Tsitsipas put together a listless display against World No. 167 Gigante, who is competing in his second career Grand Slam tournament main draw this week. Despite having much more experience, the 20th seed failed to make a dent in the Italian's mindset as he succumbed to a 4-6, 7-5, 2-6, 4-6 defeat in just over three hours. More concerningly, the 26-year-old wasted 11 of the 13 break points that he had created on his second-round opponent's serve, casting doubts on just how many departments of his game he needs to improve.

Speaking to the media afterward, Stefanos Tsitsipas made rather impassioned claims of wanting to be "the best player in the world". That said, the former World No. 3 conceded in the same breath that he was currently in a different stage of his career, which presented its own unique set of challenges.

"I still want to be the best player in the world and I still want to do great things around this sport that I chose to play. My attention and focus is always to try and improve any aspect of my game," Stefanos Tsitsipas said following his second-round exit from French Open 2025. "I'm an optimistic person. I don't want to, you know, use any excuses or anything like that, so my entire focus is on how can we come to solutions, solve certain things."

"It's a constant puzzle. I'm ambitious, and I want to prove it on the tennis court. Things have definitely changed over the last couple of years, and I know that I find myself in a completely different position now," he added.

Tsitsipas had finished runner-up at the 2021 edition of the French Open to then-World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. The Greek is a shadow of his past self in 2025, though. He has dropped 11 of his 39 matches this season, failing to win back-to-back matches at seven of his 12 tour-level events.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas: "I just need to use my experience a little bit more wisely"

Stefanos Tsitsipas exits in 2R at French Open for the first time since 2018 | Image Source: Getty

Stefanos Tsitsipas first announced himself on the ATP Tour in 2018 after a string of positive results. After more than six years, the Greek will fall outside the men's top 20 when the rankings are updated after the 2025 French Open ends.

While the prospect of not being a high-ranked pro can be daunting, the 26-year-old is still looking to incorporate his "experience a little bit more wisely" to make inroads.

"I just need to use my experience a little bit more wisely, I would say. My experience sometimes kind of stabs me I feel like, instead of utilizing it in a more professional and profound way," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.

For what it's worth, Tsitsipas can still take pride in winning his 12th career title at the Dubai Tennis Championships earlier in February. While he has failed to follow up on his triumph at the 500-level event, his campaign during the week certainly showed his mettle.