"Stefanos Tsitsipas' return is so bad, probably doesn't even return Paula Badosa's texts" - Fans react to Greek's shock Antwerp SF loss to Arthur Fils

Stefanos Tsitsipas' shock defeat to French teenager Arthur Fils in the semifinals of the 2023 European Open on Saturday (October 21) has left tennis fans in disbelief.

Following his title win at the Los Cabos Open in August, Tsitsipas experienced a significant dip in form. He faced early exits in the North American swing, including a second-round defeat at the US Open. The Greek's struggles persisted during the Asian swing as he was unable to make a deep run at both the China Open and the Shanghai Masters.

However, the 25-year-old appeared to have turned his fortunes around during his campaign at the European Open in Antwerp this week. Tsitsipas kicked off his campaign with a dominant 7-5, 6-3 win over Botic van de Zandschulp. He advanced to the semifinals of the ATP 250 event by defeating Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-3.

The Greek squared off against Arthur Fils for a place in the final. Despite Tsitsipas' strong performance throughout the week, the 19-year-old emerged victorious 7-6(5), 7-6(4) win, becoming the youngest European Open finalist in history. The 25-year-old's failure to convert eight of his nine breakpoint opportunities played a crucial role in his defeat, much to the disappointment of tennis fans.

One fan on social media criticized Stefanos Tsitsipas' return skills, hilariously suggesting that the end of his relationship with Paula Badosa was imminent as he probably struggled to return her text messages as well.

"Tsitsipas' return is so bad his relationships is gonna end soon cause he probably doesn't even return Badosa's text messages," the fan posted.

Another user attributed Tsistsipas' perceived regression to his father Apostolos' return to his coaching team.

"I understand that Apostolos is important for mental support but Tsitsipas is destroying his career by not having an actual tennis coach who can help him out. While everyone is improving and few have stagnated, he's regressed from the player he once was," the user commented.

Here are a few more fan reactions:

Stefanos Tsitsipas: "To have Paula Badosa by my side now is great, I’m going through the best time of my life"

During a press conference at the 2023 European Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas opened up about how meeting Paula Badosa had changed his perspective on life. He admitted that he used to be obsessively fixated on tennis, leaving little time for family and personal connections.

"My meeting with Paula [Badosa] gave me another vision of life in general. Before, it was always tennis, tennis, tennis, that was all that mattered, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And during that part of my young career, I didn’t spend enough time with my family," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.

The 25-year-old emphasized the importance of maintaining such connections and expressed his delight at having Badosa by his side, stating that he was currently experiencing the best time of his life.

"Maybe for some, these connections aren’t so important, but for me they are crucial. These are elements of my life that also require time. Not really energy, because they’re just part of me. So to have Paula by my side now is great. I’m going through the best time of my life. I have the right people around me, I have no doubts with that," Tsitsipas said.

Following his exit from the ATP 250 event in Antwerp, Stefanos Tsitsipas will be in action at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. The fourth seed will square off against Dominic Thiem in a blockbuster first-round clash.

About the author

Urvi is a journalist who covers tennis at Sportskeeda. She started playing tennis herself at age six when her favorite women’s player Maria Sharapova won the 2006 US Open. Over the years, her passion for the sport has grown, and so has her skill in analyzing and reporting it. Holding a Masters Degree in Literature has definitely helped in this.

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Edited by Urvi Mehra