Stefanos Tsitsipas extends words of encouragement to Dominic Thiem during classy post-match exchange at Madrid Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas extended a heartfelt message of encouragement to Dominic Thiem after their thrilling second-round clash at the 2023 Madrid Open.

Tsitsipas secured a hard-fought victory over Thiem on Saturday, April 29. He lost the opening set 3-6 before bouncing back in the second set by dominating the proceedings and leveling the match at one set apiece. He then battled back from a 1-3 deficit in the third set tiebreak to secure a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(5) win over Thiem, his fourth against the Austrian on the ATP tour.

Tsitsipas made 39 straight first serves spanning from the end of the first set to the beginning of the third. He won a whopping 88% of his first serve points during the match, contributing significantly to his thrilling victory.

While exchanging handshakes at the net after the match, Thiem complimented Tsitsipas for his performance and wished him well for the remainder of the tournament.

"Well done. Good luck," he said.

In return, Tsitsipas extended words of encouragement to the former World No. 3 as he urged him to "keep going."

"Your best yet. You still have it. Keep going, you've got this," he replied.

The Austrian thanked the World No. 5 for his kind words and wished him well in his upcoming matches once again.

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"It was very physical and I think we both played our best" - Stefanos Tsitsipas on his Madrid Open clash against Dominic Thiem

Stefanos Tsitsipas in action at the 2023 Madrid Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas was happy with the high level of tennis on display during his second-round clash against Dominic Thiem at the Madrid Open. He described their match as a physically demanding and intense encounter that showcased the best of both players' abilities.

"It was very physical and I think we both played our best. I'm in a way happy that we were able to show that kind of tennis... Today sort of showed what kind of intensity two guys that play single-hand backhands can bring to tennis. I'm happy I got away with a win. Things weren't easy at the very end but I just kept fighting," Tsitsipas said in his post-match interview.

Speaking of the closely contested third set tiebreak, the Greek highlighted the fight he had to put up against Thiem, who does not like giving away free points to his opponents.

"The third set it was just pure fight. He's not someone that's going to give up and he hates even giving the slightest to you in terms of free points," he added.

Stefanos Tsitsipas will be up against Sebastian Baez in the third round of the Madrid Open on Monday.