Stefanos Tsitsipas arrived at Melbourne Park with the obligation to improve its performance from last year in the Australian Openwhen he was eliminated in his debut. However, the former world No. 3 only reached the second round after losing 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5) and 6-7 (5) against the Czech Tomas Machacnumber 24 in the world. This result had a determining factor in the loser’s physique, which began the first Grand Slam of the season with an injury originating in a soccer match prior to the event.
As unusual as it happened is what he said. Tsitsipaswho spoke to the media in his country, SDNA and the radio SBS: “I had an absurd injury here playing soccer four days before the tournament. It is one of the most serious and absurd injuries I have had before a tournament; it had never happened to me”.
The current number 35 in the world ranking reached the finals of the Roland Garros 2021 and the Australian Open 2023but in both he encountered a superb Novak Djokovicwho overturned a two-set lead to take the title in France and swept him in three sets in the Rod Laver Arena.
Beyond these performances, Stefanos Tsitsipas He remains far from his best performances, after winning three titles in the last three years, and his recent obstacle took away his opportunities to fight until the last moments. “My whole team was pressuring me not to play, and I am proud to have played and won my first game”analyzed his initial victory over Japanese Shintaro Mochizuki (112) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and 6-2 in Margaret Court Arena.
Next, he provided details about how the illness occurred that prevented him from being at 100% of his condition: “I was doing some touches with a soccer ball and tore my psoas on one of the touches when I turned around to get the ball. It was a sudden movement and I was shocked, it had never happened to me before.”.
“I was furious with myself, I couldn’t believe that something so innocent could cause such a great injury and pain, because it was difficult for me to walk for two days. In training I didn’t run, I avoided moving from one side to the other. It’s the dumbest thing that’s ever happened to me before a tournament.“said the Greek. And he highlighted the lesson that this unexpected situation left him: “I learn from this that I will never play soccer again before a tournament”.
Tsitsipas assured that it was a “good decision” take to the field in his debut: “I was very determined to do well, although in the first games I wasn’t sure if I could finish the match.. I had a psoas injury that I hadn’t suffered since 2016. “I’m proud to have gone out and played; I could have gone without playing. It didn’t bother me today, it didn’t even cross my mind. The problem was in the first game, if I could finish it. I felt better day by day“, expressed the winner of 12 ATP titles, among which a ATP Finals y 3 Masters 1000 of Montecarlo.
Finally, he delved into the problems he had in his recent duel with Machac: “My meniscus turned and it hurt a lot. It has happened to me before and it is very ugly. As for the other leg, what I have is called Morton’s neuroma (thickening of the tissue that surrounds the nerves between the long bones of the foot) and I already had it at the 2019 ATP Finals, when I won the tournament. That can be solved.”
The name of Stefanos Tsitsipas had been under scrutiny during his participation in the Australian Openbut for reasons far removed from his production on the field. The former partner of Paula Badosa confirmed his new courtship with Kristen Thoms a little over a week ago and, in the midst of its presence at the contest, the Spanish media Ok Diary released a photograph of the woman with another man, in a close pose, on the beaches of Malibu, California.
The material was disclosed by the user @lgg359 on the social network X (ex Twitter) and you can see the woman talking to an individual in an armchair at dusk and He rested his hand on Kristen’s leg.. “The right tribe: Tsitsipas’ girlfriend cheats on him while he plays a Grand Slam”wrote the source who published the photos. Likewise, the exact date of the postcards in question is not known.
