Stefanos Tsitsipas faces fresh career doubts after Indian Wells loss as US ex-pros raise concerns

Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas faced another tough moment at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open. His singles campaign ended in the very first round after a three-set defeat to Denis Shapovalov. The Canadian won the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California. For Tsitsipas, the loss added to a difficult run of results. Once ranked among the top players in the world, the former World No.3 is now around No.50 in the live rankings.

The defeat quickly became a talking point in the tennis world. Former American players Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson discussed the match on the Nothing Major podcast. Both shared honest views about Tsitsipas’ form and the direction of his career right now. Querrey even described how the Greek star reacted immediately after the loss, which led to a deeper conversation about what might be going wrong with his game.

Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson question Stefanos Tsitsipas’ form after Denis Shapovalov defeat

Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, Sam Querrey said the match result was not completely surprising because Shapovalov has recently had the upper hand in this matchup. But what stood out to him was Tsitsipas’ reaction once the match ended.

Querrey said, “Shapovalov’s beaten Tsitsipas five times in a row on hard courts. And Tsitsipas looks lost. After the match, he went right to the car and drove away. So I don’t know, what do you think he needs to do Steve to get the trains back on the track?”

Steve Johnson then shared a deeper breakdown of Tsitsipas’ game. According to him, the Greek player is no longer striking the ball with the same power or weight he once had. Because of that, opponents are getting more chances to attack during rallies.

Johnson explained, “Tsitsipas is not hitting the ball as big. He’s not hitting it as heavy, so guys are getting more chances to go attack it. It generally feels as if he’s on the defense. He’s not hitting the ball as cleanly so the backhand is kind of spinny and it’s just kind of sitting in the middle of the court.”

Johnson also pointed out that playing too much defense may not suit Tsitsipas’ natural style. He added, “His movement was never world class. He’s a good mover, but now that he’s struggling with pace and not getting opponents on the move on his terms, him playing defense isn’t a recipe for success in the long term.”

Even with the early singles exit, Tsitsipas still has something to look forward to in Indian Wells. On March 7, he posted on X about starting his doubles run alongside Novak Djokovic. Tsitsipas wrote, “Your new Indian Wells doubles pairing. Can’t wait to team up @DjokerNole.”

Djokovic had already begun his singles campaign with a win over Kamil Majchrzak. During that match, the Serbian briefly vomited after a long rally but continued playing without further issues. Now, the doubles pairing with Tsitsipas adds another interesting storyline at Indian Wells.




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