"I was completely useless" - Stefanos Tsitsipas delivers harsh verdict on early slump before rhythm sparked first 2026 win

Stefanos Tsitsipas has kicked off his 2026 season at the United Cup. The Greek star was in action in Perth on Friday, January 2 and he recently delivered a harsh verdict on his early slump at the event.

Tsitsipas and Team Greece began their United Cup campaign against Japan. Maria Sakkari got the team off to a strong start, clinching a straight sets win over Naomi Osaka. After this, Tsitsipas got down to business at the RAC Arena, facing off against Shintaro Mochizuki. While the former World No.3 struggled initially, he found his rhythm in the latter half of the match, clinching a 6-3, 6-4 win. Reflecting on his performance, the men's singles star told media at a post-match press conference,

“I'm pleased with the way I actually finished the match because I really started finding a lot of rhythm into my game in later stages of the match. I honestly believe my first game of the match was actually pretty awful from my side. I felt like I was completely useless.”

Tsitsipas went on to discuss how shifting his focus to longer rallies in the second half of the match helped him, adding,

“But once I understood how to play, once I got a better visual of the corners that I want to target on the court, playing a little bit with more clarity, not rushing into decisions and not rushing into big shots, I felt like my game started penetrating more, started hurting more. In the longer run I was trying to do it instantly and it cost me to get started with the match. But I was not too concerned. I was just trying to rally and find my opportunities and chances there.”

After his win over Mochizuki, Stefanos Tsitsipas returned to the court for a mixed doubles encounter alongside Maria Sakkari. The Greek duo clinched an easy 6-2, 6-3 win over Japan’s Yasutaka Uchiyama and Nao Hibino.

Stefanos Tsitsipas to return to action against Great Britain

Tsitsipas at the 2026 United Cup (Image Source: Getty)

After back-to-back wins to begin his 2026 season, Stefanos Tsitsipas now has a few days of rest on his hand. The tennis star will return to action only on Monday, January 5, when Greece will take on Great Britain for their final group stage match.

The tie will see Tsitsipas face off against Brit Billy Harris, who is currently ranked 128th in the world. The duo have never competed against each other before, but the Greek player remains a strong favorite for the win.

After Stefanos Tsitsipas' encounter against Billy Harris, Maria Sakkari will take on Emma Raducanu for the women's singles match.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya