Stefanos Tsitsipas was among the stars in attendance on semifinals day at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters on Saturday. The World No. 3 was seated next to Formula 1 star Nyck de Vries in the stands, catching the match between Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev.
Tsitsipas, who won the tournament in 2021 and 2022, was knocked out of the 2023 edition with a 2-6, 4-6 loss to Fritz in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Greek star did not shy away from making his presence felt at the venue despite not playing in the match he could have played on Saturday.
Tsitsipas was on a 12-match winning streak in Monte-Carlo, having won two titles in the last two years and two more matches this season. Earlier this week, the Greek star beat Benjamin Bonzi 4-1 in the first round in what was a curtailed match due to an injury to Bonzi. The second seed then beat Nicolas Jarry 6-3, 6-4 to move into the quarterfinals, where he lost to Fritz.
Stefanos Tsitsipas was also part of the doubles draw this week, partnering with his brother Petros Tsitsipas. The duo beat the star-studded pairing of Grigor Dimitrov and Hubert Hurkacz in the opening round, before losing in the Round of 16 against Marcelo Arevalo/Jean-Julien Rojer.
"I am much better than this" - Stefanos Tsitsipas after loss to Taylor Fritz at Monte-Carlo Masters
Stefanos Tsitsipas reflected on his quarterfinal loss at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters, admitting that he is "much better than this," thus expressing his disappointment at not being able to play well against Taylor Fritz. However, the Greek star aims to treat the loss as a 'good lesson.'
"I am much better than this, and I'm disappointed I was not able to show my game today. I tried to fight on the second set. It's a good lesson. It's not a happy day for me, but it's a good lesson," Tsitsipas said in a press conference after his loss on Friday.
The 24-year-old felt that he lacked rhythm throughout the match and added that serving badly against a player like Fritz was bound to cost him dearly.
"I just seemed off. My serve was not working very well today, and against opponents like Taylor, you have to serve well. I was aware of that during the match. I just couldn't find the rhythm," he explained.
Tsitsipas, who was a finalist at the French Open in 2021, will next be seen in action at next week's Barcelona Open.