Stefanos Tsitsipas has come crashing out of the French Open with a quarter-finals loss to Carlos Alcaraz, an opponent he seems to have no answers for.
The Greek tried everything against Alcaraz but couldn’t find the next gear to overcome the Spaniard. After falling to 0-6 in their head to head record, Tsitsipas was at a loss.
“I tend to believe that my ball quality is one of the best on the Tour, and every time I get to play Carlos I feel like he delivers a shot quality that I don’t quite get against other opponents,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“It just brings me trouble. I feel like his shot is deep and has a lot of topspin to it and I just haven’t been able to come up with something good.
“He in a way overpowers me, but he’s also patient enough to do it in a very constructive way.”
The 25-year-old said he rarely feels overmatched on the court but Alcaraz is one of the few players who can overwhelm him.
He praised the No.3 for his speed and compared him to Novak Djokovic in the way he can change direction and construct points with a “great tennis IQ”.
Tsitsipas entered Roland Garros full of confidence after winning his third Monte-Carlo title in April, then reaching the Barcelona final and Rome quarters.
The No.9 felt he was in top form in Paris and close to 100 per cent in his fourth-round win against Matteo Arnaldi but Alcaraz proved too good.
“My chances, yes, I won’t lie, I was confident,” he said of his hopes to win the tournament.
“I felt more confident than I usually am. Maybe that hurt me I guess. I don’t know.
“I was pretty sure I could face Carlos today and maybe do something different than any other time that I have played. The kid is just too good. I can only congratulate him because he’s really playing amazing. I’ve maximised anything that I was able to try and do out on the court. I’ve maximised everything. I just need to figure this out.
“It’s a difficult journey. It’s not a pleasant one, for sure. Of course, I wish him the best because when I play against him, I get reminded of how much there is to get better at as a tennis player.”
There is a chance Tsitsipas still walks away with a title in Paris however as he and his brother Petros still remain in Doubles contention.
Earlier this week the brothers earned a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win against last year’s champions Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek.
They advanced to the third round where they next come up against French duo Gregoire Jacq and Manuel Guinard.
