Stefanos Tsitsipas faced another setback in his season as he was eliminated from the Japan Open in the first round, suffering a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 defeat to American Alex Michelsen on Thursday. The Greek fourth seed and world number 12 managed to secure the first set but struggled to maintain his form against the 49th-ranked Michelsen, ultimately losing the match in 1 hour and 48 minutes.
This defeat marks a continuation of Tsitsipas' recent struggles, as he also exited in the first round of the US Open last month. His disappointing performance has been compounded by his decision to part ways with his long-time coach and father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, which he announced last month. Following his loss to Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis at the US Open, Tsitsipas reflected on his current state, stating that he feels "nothing compared to the player I was before" and attributing his challenges to "long-term burnout."
The former world number 3 has seen a decline in his rankings, falling out of the top 10 and winning just two titles over the past two seasons. Despite his previous success as a two-time Grand Slam finalist, Tsitsipas has struggled to regain his momentum on the tour.
In contrast, Michelsen advanced to the second round alongside British player Jack Draper, who defeated Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci 6-4, 6-2. American Tommy Paul, the No. 5 seed, also progressed by overcoming Italy's Matteo Arnaldi with a score of 6-3, 6-2. Additionally, Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka managed to edge past Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime in a thrilling match that lasted 3 hours and 12 minutes, finishing with a score of 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 7-6 (7/5).
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