![\"Tsitsipas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Tsitsipas-Dubai-1024x682.jpeg\")
Tsitsipas fell in Dubai and will drop out of the ATP top 40 next Monday.<\/p>\nIt would make sense to see Stefanos Tsitsipas competing one day on the South American ATP swing: clay is his favourite surface and the Greek enjoys discovering vibrant cities and cultures. Yet he does not, because, he says, the money on offer is not enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never received good offers to go there; when the financial gap is big, you really have no option but to stick with what supports your career,\u201d the Greek told CLAY in an interview conducted in Australia.<\/p>\n
The three-time Monte Carlo Masters champion on clay and 2019 Roland Garros finalist explained why he has never played in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro or Santiago: \u201cI\u2019ll be direct and honest: from a financial standpoint, it\u2019s understandable that I choose other destinations instead of South America. All players choose tournaments based on guarantees as well. That\u2019s how tennis works.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tsitsipas fell in Dubai and will drop out of the ATP top 40 next Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cSouth America has never offered me a deal good enough to seriously consider it. The Middle East has always been much better in terms of appearance fees. The European swing has also provided strong financial incentives. That makes a difference,\u201d Tsitsipas, the former world No. 3, told CLAY.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s that passion in South America that I sometimes set aside, but when the financial gap is large, you really have no choice but to go with what backs your career. I would love to play there. It\u2019s always been my dream to visit South America and I\u2019ve heard wonderful things about it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Tsitsipas acknowledged that he has a broad fan base in a region he has yet to visit: \u201cI also have many fans there, and I can see it through the activity on my social media and the constant interaction with followers from that part of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
The former world No. 3 is set to fall out of the top 40 after nearly eight years, having failed to defend his title at the ATP 500 in Dubai, which he won in 2025. He lost in the first round to France\u2019s Ugo Humbert, 6\u20134, 7\u20135.<\/p>\n
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Stan Wawrinka immerse themselves in the spirit of Iftar \ud83c\udf19\u2728 pic.twitter.com\/csolRWi6bF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Dubai Tennis Champs (@DDFTennis) February 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n In an interview with CLAY during last year\u2019s US Open<\/a>, Apostolos Tsitsipas, his father and coach, spoke about the possibility of changing direction in February: \u201cWe had many conversations about it this year. Last year he did well in Dubai, so we wondered whether to follow that path or go to clay. We haven\u2019t decided yet. We\u2019re still weighing the pros and cons. Buenos Aires, Rio and Santiago are great tournaments and great cities, but the calendar right after Australia makes it complicated. Still, it\u2019s always an option.\u201d<\/p>\n The 2021 Australian Open runner-up continues to accumulate disappointments. After the year\u2019s first Grand Slam in Melbourne, he admitted his frustration: \u201cI\u2019m very disappointed. I had some goals that I couldn\u2019t achieve. It\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve won several matches in a row at a Grand Slam, and it\u2019s frustrating to find myself in this position again, unable to reach the second week of a major.\u201d<\/p>\n The Greek will resume working with coach Dimitris Chatzinikolaou, with whom he previously collaborated after parting ways with his father. He does not want Apostolos by his side all the time: his father will accompany him to around 70 per cent of tournaments in 2026.<\/p>\n Join our community on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0X (Twitter)<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Facebook.<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t