What goes around comes around—at least that’s what Stefanos Tsitsipas believes. Just before the 2025 Australian Open began, Tsitsipas made a decision to withdraw from the doubles competition alongside his brother, Petros Tsitsipas. His goal was clear: save energy for a deep run in the draw. The decision, however, didn’t pay off.

On Monday (January 13), Alex Michelsen stunned the former finalist with one of the best performances of his young career, winning 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the Australian Open second round. This is a tournament where Tsitsipas had previously thrived, making three semifinal appearances and even reaching the final in 2023. Reflecting on his early exit during the post-match press conference, Tsitsipas admitted,

“It’s quite ironic my whole goal was to try and go deep into the Australian Open, and I knew that the first thing I had to consider is not play doubles. I guess karma hit me, and I was not able to deliver or play the way I was hoping to at this year’s event. The whole purpose was just to save up on some energy and be fresher, hopefully in the deeper draw of the tournament.”

This year’s first-round exit was a significant setback for Tsitsipas, especially after he had managed to reach the fourth round in last year’s Australian Open. That time too, it was an American(Taylor Frtiz) who outclassed him.

Clearly, his inconsistency has been a growing concern. Tsitsipas ended his 2024 season with only one title, a victory at the Monte Carlo Masters. His struggles led him to drop out of the top 10 rankings for the first time in five years. He also missed qualifying for the year-end ATP Finals for the first time in six seasons and ended the season with a 45-22 win-loss record.

The Grand Slams have been particularly harsh for Tsitsipas lately. He hasn’t made it past the second round in his last three majors(including this year’s Australian Open), losing in the second round at Wimbledon and crashing out in the first round at the US Open. Now ranked No. 12 in the world, his Australian Open points loss means he’s poised to slide further in the rankings.

This drop in form marks a steep decline from his career-high ranking of No. 3, which he achieved in 2021. Back then, the 26-year-old seemed unstoppable, especially at the French, where he reached the final. Two years later, in 2023, he reached the finals at the Melbourne Slam too. But his recent slump has left many wondering if he can regain his footing on the ATP Tour. One that he has been part of for my years.

Stefanos Tsitsipas opens up on ‘doing the tour again and again’

Despite the recent struggles, Tsitsipas remains one of the more established players on the tour. It’s hard to forget his breakthrough moment at the 2019 Australian Open. That year, Tsitsipas reached his first major semifinal after a stunning fourth-round victory over then-world No. 3 and defending champion Roger Federer. It was the match that announced his arrival on the big stage. Since then, he has remained a familiar name in the latter stages of major tournaments. In the same press conference, he talked about his experience of being on the tour.

The Greek player said, “I’ve been quite well-established in the last couple of years, and I have seen the game, and I have seen all variations of games around the Tour. I’ve done the Tour over and over again, the same circle of tournaments and events. I’ve experienced what it is to be on the ATP Tour. I feel like there was a different energy, a different dynamic back then.”

As Tsitsipas heads into the rest of the 2025 season, the pressure to rediscover his form will only grow. His fans will hope this latest setback is a wake-up call rather than the continuation of a worrying trend. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas find his way back to the top, or is the competition simply moving too fast for the Greek star?