Stefanos Tsitsipas has concluded his Madrid Open journey with a round of 16 defeat to the defending champion, Casper Ruud, in a three-set battle. The Greek, who engaged in a thrilling clash against the World No. 15, recently shared his sentiments on rediscovering his elite standard on the court, among other things, while also highlighting his joy and disappointment.
Stefanos Tsitsipas Emotional After Madrid Open Campaign Ends
The World No. 80 Greek star began his campaign at Caja Mágica with a resilient display, beating World No. 90 American Patrick Kypson in the first round. He then surpassed Alexander Bublik, the eighth seed at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament, in straight sets.
In the third round, he clashed against Spain’s 21-year-old hope, Daniel Merida Aguilar, who entered the tournament as a qualifier. Tsitsipas once again showed impressive skills on court, securing the win in straight sets with a concluding scoreline of 6-4, 6-2.
In the fourth round, the Greece native battled against the defending champion, Ruud, who won the 2025 Madrid Open after defeating British star Jack Draper in the final. In each set, Tsitsipas played inspired tennis; he won the first set but eventually lost the last two. The high-stakes match featured three tiebreakers.
The Greek lost the two-hour and 57-minute match with a 7-6(4), 6-7(2), 7-6(3) score. With the win, Ruud leads the head-to-head 4-2 against Tsitsipas, whose ranking stumbled from World No. 34 to World No. 80 from the start of the 2026 season.
After the win, the Norwegian star, who had saved two match points, complimented his opponent on his dominant performance. During the match, Tsitsipas saved 11 of 12 break points. “I felt like he served big at all of them. Well done by him, serving himself out of it.”
Meanwhile, the Greek star also reflected on the match, sharing his positive mindset about getting closer to his elite form and the joy of playing at his level. He also acknowledged Ruud’s journey and wished him the best through his X post.
“I felt like myself again on the court yesterday, which is why the outcome hurts. But sometimes you have to take the pain just to feel alive. Congrats to Casper – he’s a champion, and I wish him the best in his title defense. The journey continues into Rome.”
I felt like myself again on the court yesterday, which is why the outcome hurts. But sometimes you have to take the pain just to feel alive.
Congrats to Casper – he’s a champion and I wish him the best in his title defense.
The journey continues into Rome 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/tpml2dGmVk
— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@stefanos) April 29, 2026
In his recent X post, Tsitsipas also reflected on his inner drive and how he is not pushing himself for external validation. Through his views, the ATP star shared his core message of self-respect and personal fulfillment.
He added, “It’s not chasing success to impress. It’s chasing it because you refuse to live a life that feels unfinished.”
Apart from his singles at the Madrid Open, he also competed in the doubles category with his partner, World No. 22 Italian Luciano Darderi. The pair lost to Manuel Guinard and Guido Andreozzi in the round of 16.
