After an intense quarterfinal at the 2024 Swiss Indoors, Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas faced a hard-fought defeat at the hands of France’s Arthur Fils. With his girlfriend, Paula Badosa, by his side, Tsitsipas appeared to find solace off the court despite the setback that now places him at a critical juncture in the ATP Race to Turin standings.
In the wake of this challenging season, Tsitsipas appears to draw strength from his bond with Badosa, who shared tender moments of the couple on Instagram shortly after his defeat. Badosa has been a consistent source of support throughout his ups and downs this year, even joining him in a mixed doubles Grand Slam debut at the 2024 US Open.
Here is Badosa’s latest story:
Despite their first-round loss in the mixed doubles, the duo has maintained a united front, and Badosa expressed her admiration for Tsitsipas in a heartfelt message after her third-round win at the US Open. "We’re looking forward to it, it’s really nice to share the court... He’s going through tough moments - but he’s a champion and he will always be a champion," she shared, acknowledging his resilience.
More about Tsitsipas 2024 Swiss Indoors loss!
The clash between Tsitsipas and Fils, held on Center Court at Basel's St. Jakobshalle, opened with a fiercely competitive first set. The players pushed each other to a tiebreak, which Fils ultimately claimed with a narrow edge. Building on this momentum, the Frenchman dominated the second set, securing his spot in the semifinals with a final score of 7-6(5), 6-3.
For Tsitsipas, the loss was more than just an elimination from the Swiss Indoors; it represents a steep climb ahead if he wants to maintain his record of ATP Finals appearances, which he has achieved for the past five years.
Currently positioned 12th in the ATP Race to Turin with 2,975 points, Tsitsipas is trailing behind competitors who are vying for the final qualification spot. In a tightly packed leaderboard, Tommy Paul stands just above him with 3,135 points, followed by Grigor Dimitrov at 3,150, and Alex de Minaur at 3,455 points.
Meanwhile, Andrey Rublev, who also fell in the Swiss Indoors quarterfinals, occupies the eighth and final qualification position with 3,720 points — leaving Tsitsipas 745 points short with only the Paris Masters left as a major point-earning opportunity.
As Tsitsipas heads into the Paris Masters, his journey to secure a spot in Turin is now more difficult than ever. Yet, with Badosa’s unwavering support, he has a steady source of encouragement through both the highs and lows of his career.