"John McEnroe's the only player in history that the anger helped" - Jason Isaacs on the contrast between Carlos Alcaraz & Stefanos Tsitsipas

'Harry Potter' star Jason Isaacs, who played the character of the nefarious Lucius Malfoy, recently gave his thoughts on Stefanos Tsitsipas' current struggles on the ATP Tour.

Isaacs, a British actor, has starred in not only the 'Harry Potter' franchise but other hit movies like The Patriot and Black Hawk Down. The 60-year-old is admittedly a devout tennis fan, which is why Tennis Channel recently invited him to their show to discuss a wide array of topics.

Isaacs was questioned about Stefanos Tsitsipas, with whom he played a few points at the 2018 and 2019 editions of 'The Boodles Tennis Challenge' in Great Britain. While the Brit was all praise for the Greek's one-track mind, he couldn't help but lament his current approach to the game.

The 60-year-old then drew a comparison between Tsitsipas and Carlos Alcaraz. He further stated how even though the Spaniard likes entertaining the crowd in the mouth of adversity, he never lets up his on-court intensity.

"I think he's a really lovely young man, very serious... I don't know, something about watching him on court, he's not having fun. And I've seen the joy Carlos Alcaraz brings even when he's not playing well, he loses." Jason Isaacs told Tennis Channel's Steve Weissman. "But something about the kinda free spirit, the relish that he has both for the game, for the crowd and it's not that he doesn't take it seriously. Obviously, he trains like a lunatic."

The actor added that getting flustered on-court never helped any top players besides John McEnroe as he recalled one of his conversations with Tsitsipas.

"But Stef, when I watch him on the court, even the exhibition match that I got to hit with him afterward, I said, 'Why do you get so angry? What are we doing?' He goes, 'Ah, I just get caught up,'" he added. "And I just met him, but I went, 'It doesn't help. Doesn't help you.' I've been watching tennis since before McEnroe's time, he's the only player in history that it helped. His dad's behind and nodding at me."

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Stefanos Tsitsipas: "There’s more suffering in this sport than pleasure"

Stefanos Tsitsipas looks dejected after losing 2021 French Open from 2-0 sets up

Last year, Stefanos Tsitsipas told the New York Times that there was "more suffering in tennis than pleasure", while recalling his early years that saw his father Apostolos have an increasingly difficult time financing his career.

"I’d definitely tell them there’s more suffering in this sport than pleasure," Tsitsipas told the NY Times. "Pleasure is there on the court but it’s also going to be painful, dealing with losses and defeats.

"What I’ve learned is that I always have to keep pushing myself to the limit. There were a lot of financial obstacles — tennis is an individual sport, and it requires you to pay for everything on your own."

Tsitsipas has not had a great season in 2024 so far, losing six of his 11 tour-level matches and dropping outside the top 10 rankings for the first time since 2019. That said, the Greek will be eager to restore order at next month's Monte-Carlo Masters, where he is a two-time champion.