Stefanos Tsitsipas recently explained his decision to skip the South American clay-court events in favor of competing in the Middle Eastern swing. The former World No. 3 pointed to the gap in the monetary reward between the two circuits as the key factor behind his choice, emphasizing that he ultimately chose an option that best supports his career.
Stefanos Tsitsipas Gets Brutally Honest on Skipping South American Events for Middle Eastern Swing
Tsitsipas opened his 2026 campaign at the Adelaide International, where he suffered a surprise first-round defeat to Aleksandar Vukic. He then turned his attention to the Australian Open, advancing to the second round before being knocked out in four sets by Tomáš Macháč. The Greek shifted his focus to the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, but his struggles persisted, as he exited in the second round after losing to Botic van de Zandschulp.
The former World No. 3 then turned his attention to the Middle Eastern swing, showing signs of resurgence with a quarterfinal run at the Qatar Open. However, the momentum proved short-lived as Tsitsipas fell in the opening round of the ATP 500 event in Dubai.
It is worth noting that while Tsitsipas chose to compete in the Middle East, the Golden Swing unfolded simultaneously, with ATP’s clay-court events in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro already concluded and the tournament in Santiago currently underway.
Although Tsitsipas has historically thrived on clay, highlighted by three titles at the Monte-Carlo Masters and a runner-up finish at the French Open in 2021, a more lucrative appearance package ultimately swayed him toward the Middle Eastern events.
“I’ve never received good offers to go there; when the financial gap is big, you really have no option but to stick with what supports your career. I’ll be direct and honest: from a financial standpoint, it’s understandable that I choose other destinations instead of South America. All players choose tournaments based on guarantees as well. That’s how tennis works,” he made a candid admission in an interview with CLAY.
The 27-year-old made it clear that financial considerations heavily influence his scheduling decisions. Tsitsipas emphasized that appearance fees and monetary incentives in the Middle East and Europe are significantly stronger than in South America
“South America has never offered me a deal good enough to seriously consider it. The Middle East has always been much better in terms of appearance fees. The European swing has also provided strong financial incentives. That makes a difference,” he added.
A lingering back injury has significantly hampered the Greek’s form, an issue that became increasingly apparent last season following his ATP 500 triumph in Dubai. If fitness aligns, a strong comeback appears well within reach.
