Stefanos Tsitsipas says a renewed sense of enjoyment on court is helping drive his resurgence after advancing to the fourth round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
The former world No. 3 defeated Spain’s Daniel Merida 6-4, 6-2 on Monday, ending the local hopeful’s run at the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event. Tsitsipas, currently ranked No. 80 as he looks to rebuild his standing, converted three of four break-point chances in a composed performance.
“When you are playing matches like that, where you are fighting and in a good mindset and constantly looking and searching for opportunities, you feel like the joy of the game on its own allows you to feel fulfilled already when you’re on the court,” Tsitsipas said post match.
“These types of moments, [regardless] of the actual result, I feel like they teach me a lot. They make me get in touch with the game.”
The 27-year-old, who has endured a difficult 12 months marked by injury and inconsistency, showed signs of returning to form as he reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time since the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2025.
“I really love the game when I get to discover tennis in such ways,” he said. “Just hitting winners, missing a few times, but overall trying to take the most out of it… these are the types of moments that make me really enjoy the game.”
Tsitsipas added there were plenty of positives to take from the performance, highlighting his consistency and ability to apply pressure throughout the match.
“I was solid. I was playing my game and applying a lot of pressure out on the court, so I’m just really joyful to see myself perform at such a high level. I wasn’t giving much, and that’s what made me a strong opponent today.”
The win, secured in 68 minutes, also marked a milestone for Tsitsipas, who became just the fourth player this decade to record 100 tour-level victories on clay.
He will next face Casper Ruud, the most prolific clay-court winner of the group, in the fourth round.