Stefanos Tsitsipas, once one of tennis' most promising stars, faced disappointment at the 2025 Australian Open, where he was eliminated in the first round by 20-year-old American Alex Michelsen. The match, held on January 13 at Melbourne Park, saw Tsitsipas lose 5-7, 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, marking yet another setback for the Greek player.
This shocking defeat came after Tsitsipas made the strategic decision to withdraw from the doubles event he was meant to play with his brother, Petros Tsitsipas. “It’s quite ironic. My whole [idea] was to try to go deep and focus on singles,” he reflected post-match. “I knew the first thing I had to always take care of was not playing doubles. I guess karma hit me.”
Tsitsipas' withdrawal from doubles appears to have been motivated by his determination to save energy for the singles campaign. Typically, the Australian Open has been kind to him, as he made it to the finals last year and reached the semi-finals on three occasions. The absences of warm-up matches prior to such significant tournaments often come with risks such as lack of match practice, and for Tsitsipas, this strategy unfortunately did not pay off.
Michelsen, the World No. 42, used his youth and vigor to deliver one of the standout performances of his career, celebrating his first victory against a top-20 player at the Grand Slam. The fickle nature of sport reared its head as Tsitsipas delivered errors, including some double faults at pivotal moments, which allowed Michelsen to seize the day. Throughout the match, Tsitsipas showed flashes of brilliance, but inconsistency marred his performance.
Reflecting on his long-term career, Tsitsipas noted, “The most frustrating part about losing in the first round of a Grand Slam is having too much time to recover.” He expressed his preference for being engaged constantly on the ATP Tour, rather than having to brood about this latest disappointment. “It just sucks because I’ll be hanging around for quite a long time before my next tournament,” he added with disappointment.
Despite having reached the finals and overcoming formidable opponents like Novak Djokovic during past tournaments, Tsitsipas now finds himself struggling after another first-round exit. The narrative of his tennis career has taken unexpected turns, and with recent trends pointing downward, he expressed, “I feel like I’m much more skilled as another player now,” drawing contrasts between his current skill set and the flatter style of play from his younger days.
Tsitsipas managed to hold land throughout previous Australian Opens, including his significant breakthrough when he upset Roger Federer as a 21-year-old. Yet, the tough reality now is his lack of recent success, having failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals at any Slam since 2023. He now looks to reset his approach and hopes to recover quickly for the remaining challenges of 2025.
This first-round exit at the Australian Open marks the continuation of recent struggles for Tsitsipas. His decision to bypass doubles play, intended to conserve his physical strength, instead led to unexpected consequences as he could not perform at the necessary level when it mattered most. The pressure is mounting as the weight of expectation hangs heavily on the former World No. 3, who now sits at No. 12 on the ATP rankings.
With the competition fierce and challenges mounting, Tsitsipas' next step will be to recalibrate and regain his momentum for the remainder of the year. The 2025 season is still young, yet expectations align with his past successes. The Australian Open may have marked another disappointment, but hope remains for Tsitsipas to rise again and reclaim his place at the top of the sport.