A Review of Tsitsipas’ Outstanding 2019 Season

AGONAsport looks back on Stefanos Tsitsipas’ incredible 2019 season, which saw him win three titles and reach the top 5 of the ATP rankings.

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The 21-year-old finished the season with 54 total wins (59 if including Davis Cup and Hopman Cup), including nine top 10 wins. He won three tour titles and became the first Greek player to ever reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam at the Australian Open. He also made over $7 million USD in prize money.

SOLID START TO THE SEASON

Tsitsipas began the season in Perth, playing with Maria Sakkari for Team Greece at the Hopman Cup. There, they defeated both defending champion Switzerland (featuring Roger Federer) and the United States (featuring Serena Williams). Tsitsipas then played in Sydney, reaching the quarterfinals.

MAGIC IN MELBOURNE

Tsitsipas then played at the Australian Open, which was the only Grand Slam where he had never won a main draw match at. That would quickly change, as Tsitsipas soon found himself in the fourth round. There, he pulled off a stunning upset win over two-time defending champion Federer. He then followed that up by beating Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals, before losing to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. This was the first time ever that a Greek player (male or female) made it past the round of 16 at a Grand Slam in singles. As a result, Tsitsipas rose from 15 to 12 in the ATP rankings.

BACK-TO-BACK FINALS

After losing in the quarterfinals of Sofia and first round of Rotterdam, Tsitsipas recovered by winning the title in Marseille. This would be the second ATP tournament title of his career. The following week, he made the final in Dubai, falling to Federer there. That loss ended Tsitsipas’ eight-match win streak. Despite that, Tsitsipas’ performances in Marseille and Dubai saw him reach the number 10 spot in the ATP rankings.

BOUNCING BACK ON CLAY

After losing in the early rounds at four consecutive events (Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona), Tsitsipas redeemed himself by capturing his third career title in Estoril, Portugal. This was also Tsitsipas’ first career title on clay, the surface he grew up on. 

MASTERS IN MADRID AND ROME

The following week, Tsitsipas reached the final of the Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid, going on another eight-match win streak. After wins against two top 4 opponents (Nadal and Zverev), the Greek fell in the final to then world number one Novak Djokovic. The following week, Tsitsipas reached the semifinals of the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, losing to Nadal in the semifinals.

ROLAND GARROS ROLLERCOASTER

Tsitsipas then went to Paris for the French Open at Roland Garros, where he was one of the main contenders for the title. Ranked sixth in the world, Tsitsipas won three matches to reach the round of 16. There, he faced 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka. After splitting the first two sets, Tsitsipas and Wawrinka then split the next two sets to go to a decisive fifth set. Wawrinka ultimately prevailed 8-6 in the fifth set, after over five hours of play. Although it was a devastating loss for Tsitsipas, the match was regarded by many as the best match of the entire 2019 tennis season.

GRASS COURT MEDIOCRITY

Tsitsipas was then unimpressive during the grass court season, winning two matches and losing three. This included a heartbreaking first round loss in five sets at Wimbledon.

SUMMER STRUGGLES

The Greek seemed to be gaining form during the North American hardcourt swing, reaching the semifinals in Washington DC. However, he then lost his first matches in Montreal, Cincinnati, and at the US Open.

FINDING FORM IN THE FALL

After a disappointing summer, Tsitsipas’ fall season went much better. He defeated three top 20 opponents to reach the final in Beijing. Then, at the Masters 1000 event in Shanghai, he upset then world number one Novak Djokovic to reach the semifinals.

INDOOR SUCCESS IN EUROPE

The Greek was then able to carry this form to his next events, which were indoor tournaments in Europe. Tsitsipas reached the semifinals in Basel, losing to Federer. He then made the quarterfinals at the Masters 1000 tournament in Paris, losing to Djokovic. Both Federer and Djokovic ended up going on to win those tournaments.

ATP FINALS TRIUMPH

Tsitsipas ended his season at the ATP Finals in London. Making his debut at the event, the Greek became the youngest player to win the ATP Finals since 2001. This was by far the biggest title of his career, and he won it by defeating four of the best players in the world. After beating Daniil Medvedev (world number four) and defending champion Alexander Zverev (world number seven) in the group stage, Tsitsipas went on to beat Roger Federer (world number three) in the semifinals, and Dominic Thiem (world number five) in the final. Tsitsipas also won $2,656,000 USD in prize money from this event, which was the largest paycheck of his career so far.

by Andrew Stamas

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