Stefanos Tsitsipas had almost vanished from the radar. The twenty-six-year-old Greek, a former world number three and 2021 Roland-Garros finalist, has just played his first ATP final since February 2025 at Gstaad. Despite losing to Raphaël Collignon (6-7, 6-7), this week in Switzerland tells the story of a player who refuses to fade away.
Tsitsipas's run in Gstaad was that of a rediscovered competitor. A three-set win over Jerome Kym, then a solid quarterfinal against fourth seed Arthur Rinderknech, and finally a controlled semifinal against Aleksandr Shevchenko (6-4, 3-6, 6-3). The Greek showed legs, tactical variety, and above all the ability to fight through pressure moments that once defined him.
The past sixteen months have been gruelling for Tsitsipas. After splitting with his longtime coach Apostolos (his father), the Greek endured a crisis of results and confidence. His ranking slipped outside the top 15 for the first time since 2020. Early exits piled up, from the Australian Open to Monte-Carlo to Roland-Garros.
But clay has always been his garden. It is on this surface that Tsitsipas achieved his greatest triumphs (Monte-Carlo 2021, 2022, Roland-Garros final), and it is naturally where he finds his bearings again. His all-court game, mixing net approaches, drop shots and heavy topspin forehands, thrives on the red dirt.
At twenty-six, Tsitsipas still has time to return to the top level. This Gstaad final alone will not immediately restore him to the top 10, but it sends a clear signal: the Greek has not said his last word. The next step will be converting these promising weeks into titles. The North American hard-court swing will pose a different challenge, but Tsitsipas appears to have rediscovered the mindset needed to compete.
