Renewed Tsitsipas marches into Madrid fourth round

Stefanos Tsitsipas says a renewed consciousness of enjoyment connected tribunal is helping thrust his resurgence aft advancing to the 4th circular of the Mutua Madrid Open.

The erstwhile world No. 3 defeated Spain’s Daniel Merida 6-4, 6-2 connected Monday, ending the section hopeful’s tally astatine the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event. Tsitsipas, presently ranked No. 80 arsenic helium looks to rebuild his standing, converted three of 4 break-point chances successful a composed performance.

“When you are playing matches similar that, where you are warring and successful a bully mindset and perpetually looking and searching for opportunities, you consciousness similar the joyousness of the crippled connected its ain allows you to consciousness fulfilled already when you’re connected the court,” Tsitsipas said station match.

“These types of moments, [regardless] of the existent result, I consciousness similar they teach maine a lot. They marque maine get successful touch with the game.”

The 27-year-old, who has endured a hard 12 months marked by wounded and inconsistency, showed signs of returning to signifier arsenic helium reached the past 16 of a Masters 1000 tournament for the archetypal clip since the Monte-Carlo Masters successful 2025.

“I truly emotion the crippled when I get to observe tennis successful such ways,” helium said. “Just hitting winners, missing a fewer times, but wide trying to take the astir retired of it… these are the types of moments that marque maine truly bask the game.”

Tsitsipas added there were plentifulness of positives to take from the performance, highlighting his consistency and quality to use unit passim the match.

“I was solid. I was playing my crippled and applying a batch of unit retired connected the court, so I’m conscionable truly joyful to spot myself execute astatine such a precocious level. I wasn’t giving much, and that’s what made maine a strong hostile today.”

The win, secured successful 68 minutes, besides marked a milestone for Tsitsipas, who became conscionable the 4th subordinate this decennary to grounds 100 tour-level victories connected clay.

He will adjacent look Casper Ruud, the astir prolific clay-court winner of the group, successful the 4th round.