Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas recently addressed the debate sparked by his remarks regarding tournaments in South America and the role of appearance fees in shaping his schedule. He emphasized that his words were misunderstood and sought to provide context for his decisions. βOver the last days I’ve seen a lot of discussion around comments I made about scheduling tournaments and appearance fees, so I want to clarify things in a simple and honest way,β he said.
Respect for South American tennis
Tsitsipas highlighted his admiration for the region, stressing that his comments were not intended as criticism. βFirst of all, I truly enjoy playing in South America. The passion of the fans there is special and I have a lot of respect for the tournaments and the culture around tennis in that region. My comments were never a complaint and never meant as criticism,β he commented.
Financial realities on the ATP Tour
The Greek player explained the financial structure of professional tennis, noting that appearance fees are often limited to certain events. βOn the ATP Tour, players outside of prize money have very limited ways to support their careers financially. The reality is that ATP 250 and ATP 500 events are often the only opportunities where appearance fees exist,β he said. He added that these factors naturally influence scheduling decisions, not only for him but for many top players. βBecause of that, scheduling decisions are sometimes influenced by those factors. This is not unique to me. It is a standard model followed by many players, especially those competing at the top level,β he explained.
Common knowledge in tennis
Tsitsipas clarified that his remarks were meant to explain the logic behind his calendar choices rather than to criticize any specific tournaments. βI was simply answering a question about why my calendar sometimes looks the way it does. I was explaining something that is common knowledge inside professional tennis, not expressing negativity toward any country or tournament,β he said.
Tsitsipas reiterated his appreciation for every place he competes and expressed his desire to continue playing across different regions worldwide. βI have great appreciation for every place I compete in and I hope to play in many different regions of the world in the future as well,β he commented.
Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2026
Ranked world no.43, Tsitsipas played his last match on the 24th of February when he lost to world no.34 Ugo Humbert 6-4 7-5 in the 1st round in Dubai (draw).
This season Stefanos has a compiled 9-5 win-loss record.
