Stefanos Tsitsipas admitted that he was “not good enough” in his defeat to Dominic Stricker at the US Open.
Tsitsipas had enjoyed success at Los Cabos, winning his first title of the season, but then followed that up with a surprise defeat to Gael Monfils in Toronto as he prepared for the year’s final Grand Slam tournament in New York.
Speaking in a press conference after his defeat, the 25-year-old admitted he had underperformed.
He said: “By no means I’m supposed to put any blame on any people or any members of my team. Everything on court is under my control and under my talents, and the way I can play this sport are shown out on the court. If I’m not able to deliver, then I’m not supposed to be doing well.”
He added: “That’s what happened this summer. I was not good enough to deliver and score good results. I won’t blame it on anything.
“It’s just a poor performance after Los Cabos. Had a tough transition to Toronto where I dealt with really bad jet lag that I never had such kind of experience on tour. Had a very difficult match against Gael.”
Tsitsipas revealed that he had even considered retiring during the defeat against the Frenchman.
“I was actually thinking of retiring in that particular occasion but I went in and hoped that I can do something,” he continued.
“Otherwise, the other two results, including the one today, I have no reason to say anything. It was just pure competition. My opponent showed better tennis than I did. I want to congratulate him, because, you know, I consider myself a good player, and I don’t want to be a person that can be beaten easily or I’m giving my opponents easy time on the court against me.
“I try to make it as hard as I can, and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. I move on with my life. Hopefully I can get better in the future.”
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