Wimbledon 2021: 'I was a bit more passive': Stefanos Tsitsipas on losing to Frances Tiafoe

Stefanos Tsitsipas was knocked out of Wimbledon in the first round on Monday, losing 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to Frances Tiafoe. It denotes Stefanos Tsitsipas' third opening-round exit at the Championships in four appearances.

The Greek, who completed as the runner-up at Roland Garros, didn't play any warm-up matches on grass ahead of Wimbledon. While weariness from a tiring claycourt mission might have been an explanation, his grandmothers' demise may have additionally had an influence on his choice.

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Addressing the media after his loss to Frances Tiafoe, Stefanos Tsitsipas conceded he may have profited with playing a few matches ahead of the Wimbledon season: "I was thinking maybe I should have played the week before Wimbledon, either Mallorca or Eastbourne, I'm not sure. Any of these tournaments would have helped, for sure, get me in a better shape, get my tennis ready for the grass-court season."

The Greek piled acclaim on his rival, who played forceful tennis beginning to end. Stefanos Tsitsipas, then again, was very inactive, which he conceded prompted his downfall. He said: "Fair to say he played really well. I wasn’t able to maintain the intensity. I wasn’t able to put something better than him. It ended up going his way. I was a bit more passive. I didn’t approach my game with the same strategy."

Stefanos Tsitsipas conceded he needed motivation against Frances Tiafoe, yet rushed to call attention to that it was not the justification of his dreary exhibition. He, who has never been past the fourth round at Wimbledon, demanded he has the range of abilities to prevail on grass: "There have been times when I was much more motivated than this but that is not a reason for me not to play well."Again, I’d like to pinpoint and say I have all the qualities to play on grass. I haven’t had a lot of matches on grass."

Since the tour resumed last year, life for tennis players has primarily elaborate going from the bubble of one competition to another because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stefanos Tsitsipas conceded that moving from one bubble to another was mentally depleting. He said: "The bubble makes it really tiring every week. It’s certainly very difficult when you know mentally you’re going from one bubble, being in that bubble for close to a month & then a few weeks later you need to go through the procedure again, it’s just not easy."