Stefanos Tsitsipas explained why he decided to change his racket during the 2025 Dubai Championships.
Tsitsipas has struggled a lot in recent months. His last semi-final appearance came seven months ago, and he last played in a final ten months ago. It’s been almost a year since he last won a title.
That’s certainly not how the former ATP World No. 3 player expected his career to develop, especially after he has already played in two Grand Slam finals.
The Greek’s struggles were obvious. He couldn’t beat the players he used to beat, and he didn’t make any deep runs. That’s also why he fell out of the Top 10.
Now, he finally has a great run again. Tsitsipas made it to the final at the 2025 Dubai Championships, and it isn’t only the player who receives the praise for finally snapping that bad run without a final.
At the start of the week, the two-time Grand Slam finalist appeared with a blacked-out racket frame. It was clear that the 26-year-old player was trying out something new, and soon enough, it was also clear that it worked.
With the new frame, Tsitsipas beat Lorenzo Sonego, Karen Khachanov, Matteo Berrettini, and Tallon Griekspoor to reach the final of the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai.
After his win over Griekspoor, the Greek player was asked to elaborate more on his decision to change the racket. Journalist Reem Abulleil asked the 11-time ATP titlist about his change and what it brings to his game.
Tsitsipas explained that he needed more comfort in his game, and that’s exactly what the racket gave him. He linked the change also to the recent change in tennis balls and court speeds.
“Comfort is one thing that it brings to my game, and that’s one thing I’ve been trying to add to my game, and I’ve been receiving some of that extra help. I’ve spoke about how balls and courts have changed in the last couple of years, and that’s just me trying to adapt to that.”
Tsitsipas also explained why he had decided to make that decision. He saw his career trending in the wrong direction, and trying to change something to stop the bleeding seemed like a “no-brainer” to him.
“It was kind of a no-brainer, I feel like. Especially when you feel like how things respond. It’s foolish of me not to try and make the change because it’s too obvious that it doesn’t really benefit me or help me. These changes sometimes are necessary because you don’t want to be stuck in the same pattern over and over again.”
Tsitsipas will try to crown his great run in Dubai with a trophy. His opponent in the final will be Felix Auger-Aliassime, who has been on fire in 2025 so far. He has the most wins out of all players (16).
