Stefanos Tsitsipas was left frustrated and introspective after suffering his earliest French Open exit in seven years, crashing out in the second round to Italy’s Matteo Gigante.
The 20th-seeded Greek lost 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to the world No. 167, marking his earliest Roland-Garros defeat since 2018.
The result is a significant setback for the 26-year-old, who is set to drop out of the world’s top 20 for the first time in six years.
A finalist in Paris in 2021 and a regular contender in recent years, Tsitsipas couldn’t find his rhythm against the unseeded Gigante, committing 49 unforced errors on Court Simonne-Mathieu.
“I expected more from myself these two weeks,” Tsitsipas said after the match.
“At times, I played immaturely and wasn’t fully present in the moment. I gave away too many points.”
Despite his disappointment, Tsitsipas gave credit to his opponent.
“Gigante played incredible tennis. He handled the pressure moments really well,” he said.
It was the Italian’s biggest win of his career.
The defeat follows another early exit for the Greek star, who was also beaten by an unseeded player, Alex Michelsen, in the first round of the Australian Open earlier this year.
“I need to use my experience more wisely,” Tsitsipas said, as he now looks to regroup after a difficult run in the majors.
