"Let's embrace the beauty of imperfection" - Stefanos Tsitsipas positive after early exit from Indian Wells 2023 

Stefanos Tsitsipas gave tennis fans around the globe a piece of his mind after an early exit from the 2023 Indian Wells last week.

The Greek entered the Masters 1000 in California on the back of a runner-up finish at the Australian Open and a Round of 16 exit at the ATP 500 Rotterdam Open. He squared off against Jordan Thompson in the second round in Indian Wells and bowed out to the Australian in a close three-set encounter 7-6(0), 4-6, 7-6(5).

Taking to his Twitter account later, however, Tsitsipas shared a positive message for fans, encouraging them to embrace "imperfection" and accept themselves as they are.

"Let's embrace the beauty of imperfection. Life is messy and imperfect, but that's what makes it so beautiful. Let's learn to accept ourselves and others just as we are, flaws and all," Stefanos Tsitsipas said

Fans and critics have had high expectations from the 24-year-old for the last few years. He's won nine ATP Tour titles, including 1 ATP Finals trophy, and has secured runner-up finishes at two Grand Slam events since 2019. However, the current World No. 3 is yet to get over the line and add a Major title to his trophy cabinet.

As far as his current form is concerned, Tsitsipas did not enter the 2023 Indian Wells in the best possible shape in terms of his physical fitness. He stated in an interview prior to the start of the event that he did not anticipate a deep run at Indian Wells this year as he was still recovering from a shoulder injury.

"I am still in recovery and I won't be pretending that I have chances of doing well in these next two tournaments because that would be wrong. I haven't said it a lot of times in my career, but I don't think I'll be capable of going deep. The main priority is to get my body ready and fixed for the clay court swing," Stefanos Tsitsipas said

"We've seen it with some champions like Nadal who've struggled with injuries but are still able to play at a pretty good level" - Stefanos Tsitsipas

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Stefanos Tsitsipas appreciated Rafael Nadal's work ethic and fighting spirit in a recent interview. The Greek has been dealing with a shoulder injury and had the option to withdraw from recent events on the ATP Tour. Instead, he decided to grind out a few matches and condition his body well ahead of the intense clay swing.

The 24-year-old spoke about getting through the process with the right medical team by his side and also mentioned how 22-time Grand Slam Champion Rafael Nadal has managed to play at a high level over the years despite his numerous injuries.

"I need to take my time and have the right medical team by my side to help me recover to the fullest and not have complications like this in the future. When you are dealing with situations like this, the only thing you wish for yourself is to have a career that's healthy, where you can go out on the court and give it your all without any repercussions."

"We've seen it with some champions like Rafa Nadal who have been struggling with injuries for a long time but are still able to play at a pretty good level." Stefanos Tsitsipas said