Has Stefanos Tsitsipas unlocked his winning formula with the number 12? After a string of near-misses, he stormed to victory in Dubai, clinching his 12th ATP title with a dominant 6-3, 6-3 win over Félix Auger-Aliassime. This triumph breaks a frustrating streak of 11 consecutive final losses at 500-level events, and remarkably, coincides with his August 12th birthday. Could this be the turning point Tsitsipas desperately needed, especially after a challenging start to the season and open admissions of confidence struggles? Even Novak Djokovic and his peers were caught reacting to this incredible resurgence.
He recently shared a post on his Instagram stories, featuring Tstistipas’ emphatic triumph at the Dubai Tennis Championships with the caption, “No one beats @stefanostsitspas98 12x in a row on 500 tour level Well done!” Perhaps the ‘Serbinator’ tried to imitate Vitas Gerulaitis’s popular punchline, “Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row.”
In Dubai, he’d reached the finals twice before, in 2019 and 2020. While Stefanos lost the final to Roger Federer in 2019, he faced a particularly painful loss to Novak Djokovic in the 2020 edition (6-3, 6-4). Shortly after the latter match, Djokovic heaped praise on the Greek tennis star,
“He’s (Tsitsipas) very smart and wise; I mean, you heard his words on the court. I told him that after the match, I told him that I love that about him, I love the fact that he is more than just a tennis player and he’s always looking to learn from the experience and to understand something new about himself so he can improve, get better. For me, that’s a trait of a champion, of someone that for sure has a great potential to be No. 1 in the world and win Majors as a great ambassador of our sport.” Now, five years after that, the Serb was seen taking a playful jibe.
Interesting fact: This win in 2024 feels like redemption, adding to his extensive list of finals appearances, including four in Barcelona, and others in China, Hamburg, Mexico, Rotterdam, and Astana.
Novak Djokovic on IG after Tsitsipas won his first ATP 500 title in Dubai:
“No one beats Stefanos Tsitsipas 12 times in a row on 500 tour level” pic.twitter.com/1l9RTKOQSk
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 1, 2025
Moreover, Serena Williams’ ex-coach, Patrick Mouratgolou, and French star, Gael Monfils, heaping praise on his performance by saying, “Bravo“. What did his opponent in this match, Felix Auger-Aliassime, say after this match?
Well, the Canadian congratulated Stefanos Tsitsipas after the match and he even admitted it was his night this time. Further on, he also shared a tweet saying, “Wasn’t meant to be for me in Dubai this evening – all the credit to Stef and his team for the amazing match he played .”
Tsitsipas’s losing streak in 2025: Tsitsipas wasn’t having a great time recently; he made early exits from the AO, losing to the young American Alex Michelsen in the first round itself. After that, he made it to the QF in Rotterdam, but even there, he failed to deliver when it mattered the most and lost his QF match against Mattia Bellucci. He even made an early exit from the Qatar Open this year.
After facing a series of disappointments, Stefanos Tsitsipas even switched his rackets just ahead of this tournament, and as things look like, this change might have just clicked for the Greek. What did he say to his haters after the match, though?
Stefanos Tsitsipas takes a subtle dig at his haters following his Dubai Tennis Championships triumph
Shortly after this match, Stefanos Tsitsipas said that this win was all about fighting and trying his best to avoid a third final defeat in this tournament. He said, “It was nerve-wracking facing a formidable opponent. I take pride in how I managed to handle the pressure and perform in those critical moments. This was one of his biggest outdoor hard-court wins of his career.” He further added, “There is nothing that ensured the win today, it was just pure fighting. It’s a big relief that I’m able to hold that trophy after the third attempt. It’s something that I had in the back of my mind, and I’m happy to say I accomplished it.”
This was his tenth meeting with Felix Auger-Aliassime, and this win is now his seventh win against the Canadian. Tsitsipas didn’t forget to heap praise on his opponent’s valiant efforts in this match during his post-match interview. He hailed Auger-Aliassime as a “great opponent“.
Subsequently, Tsitsipas uploaded a picture of himself with the trophy in his hand and captioned it with, “They said my game was sinking… so I got myself a boat.” After seeing this post, the former world number one Naomi Osaka dropped a comment saying, “lol caption kinda ate .”
With this win, Stefanos Tsitsipas is now yet again back into the Top 10. He will return to world number 9 on Monday. Speaking on this incredible feat in the singles ranking, he added, “These are the things we are fighting for as professional tennis players. To be owning a spot in the Top 10 is definitely one of the greatest feelings a tennis player can experience. It comes with hard work and sacrifices, but I’m happy that I’m in a position where I can really celebrate.”
Tsitsipas will next be seen in action at the 2025 Indian Wells Masters. How far do you think the Greek tennis heartthrob can reach at that mega tennis event? Share your thoughts in the comment box.
The post Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Hard-Earned Victory Takes a Comedic Turn as Novak Djokovic Delivers a Witty Jab at His ATP-500 Finals Jinx appeared first on EssentiallySports.
