Stefanos Tsitsipas gets back to practice moments after losing to Djokovic in Rome final

ATP
Monday, 16 May 2022 at 19:15
Updated at Tuesday, 12 November 2024 at 12:52
Tsitsipas Stefanos MadridOpen2022 FlorinBaltatoiu3

They say that practice makes perfect, and Stefanos Tsitsipas did not opt for an early shower after his Italian Open final loss to Novak Djokovic but went straight back to the practice court.

The final was a humbling experience for Tsitsipas, who yet again failed to defeat Novak Djokovic in the final. They have played some spectacular matches in the past, and Djokovic was able to win all of them, including some high-stakes matches.

The most notable one was obviously last year's French Open final, where Tsitsipas led by two sets to love. The Greek player has always been respectful in defeat, paying tribute to Djokovic and calling him an inspiration. Djokovic ended up winning in five sets and denying Tsitsipas his first major.

Tsitsipas did the same yesterday after another agonizing loss, acknowledging Djokovic's brilliance. He was slow off the blocks as Djokovic completed a whitewash in the opening set, winning it 6-0.

The Greek responded after taking a 4-1 lead in the second set. However, his omentum was halted by a resilient Djokovic, who won five of the next seven games to force a tie-break, which he won.

Tsitsipas came up short in his quest to win a second ATP Masters 1000 on clay. He had triumphed at last month's Monte Carlo Masters, dropping just one set during the week. But on Sunday, he was clearly second-best against Djokovic.

However, as soon as the trophy ceremony was concluded, Tsitsipas opted to practice a bit at Pietrangeli court, where a few fans who had stayed within the Foro Italico sat courtside to watch him.

He was joined by his father and coach Apostolos after they discussed some things that went wrong, presumably during the match. This shows a high level of self-awareness and commitment from the Greek, who admitted to feeling really hungry for more success.

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