Is it time for the Stefanos Tsitsipas redemption?

Every tennis season matters. The sport never rests, and so neither can the players. Whether you’re ranked first in the world or hanging on at number 100, the first requirement of every season is to defend your position. Stefanos Tsitsipas learned that lesson the hard way.

His 2025 season was nothing short of disastrous. He played 46 matches and won just 23, his worst record since 2015. Poor form was only part of the story. Injuries plagued him throughout the year, particularly a back problem that was so severe that he considered walking away from tennis altogether.

His ranking reflected the struggle. In March 2025, he was still inside the top 10. By year’s end, he’d plummeted to a season-low 36th in the world. But retirement? That didn’t happen. Tsitsipas is back, and he’s already played his first match of 2026. The question now is whether we’re witnessing the beginning of a genuine comeback or just another false dawn.

It’s impossible to say until we see sustained excellence from him again. The concern isn’t just his body, though that remains a question mark. His tennis itself has stagnated, perhaps even regressed from where it was a few years ago. That’s a serious problem in this era. More talented players are emerging all the time, and more will inevitably overtake him if he doesn’t evolve – which he can ill afford given the ground he has already lost.

Then there’s the mental side of his game, which has deteriorated considerably. When Tsitsipas first burst onto the scene, he seemed to thrive under pressure. His nerveless four-set win over Roger Federer in Melbourne seven years ago comes to mind. Those days appear to be behind him. He’s crumbled in big moments more often than not lately.

The pressure doesn’t just come from outside expectations either. His parents have been a constant source of internal tension as their involvement is widely viewed as overbearing. He’s tried to distance himself from their influence before, without much success. Still, there were encouraging signs in his first match back.

A Promising Start

Tsitsipas opened 2026 at the United Cup with a victory over Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki. Mochizuki isn’t going to trouble the sport’s elite, but he’s a solid player capable of causing problems if you’re not sharp. Tsitsipas was sharp. He won in straight sets, looking comfortable throughout. His serve was firing, and he played with real aggression.

Yes, the backhand remains what it’s always been, which is to say a liability. But he’s found ways to compensate for it before. What mattered most, though, was something less tangible. Tsitsipas looked like he was actually enjoying himself out there. For any athlete, that joy is essential. Without it, you’ve already lost half the battle before the first point is played.

Being back in Australia probably helps. The country has been something of a sanctuary for him over the years, and these next few weeks could genuinely reignite his career in a meaningful way.

What Comes Next

Can Tsitsipas truly redeem himself? It’s far too early to tell. A few months from now, we’ll have a clearer picture. In a recent interview, he expressed genuine belief that he can return to his former level, which would mean climbing back into the Top 10. Given how open that tier of the rankings currently is, it’s not an unrealistic goal. But it won’t be easy, and it will require tennis far better than what he’s shown over the past two years.

Will he ever reach the heights so many predicted for him seven or eight years ago? Probably not, unless something dramatic shifts. But tennis has a way of surprising us. Stranger things have happened. For Tsitsipas, the path forward is simple even if the execution isn’t. Take it one match at a time. The first match was a solid start. Now he needs to build on it.