‘I’ve Made the Mistake’- Hours After His Wretched French Open Result, Stefanos Tsitsipas Blames Sleeping Pills for His Loss to Carlos Alcaraz

The quarter-final match between Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas on June 6 was a nail-biter. World no. 1 Carlos defeated the two-time Grand Slam finalist Tsitsipas in a 3-round match. However, that is not what caught the most attention in this match. It was Stefanos’ presser that caught fans off guard as he presented an unusual explanation for losing the match to Carlos.

The 24-year-old Greek tennis star blamed Melatonin for his lethargic performance during the quarter-final match at Roland Garros. And people all over the world are losing their minds over this unexpected reason that was delivered by Stefanos.

Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas blames sleep aid for his game against Carlos

Stefanos Tsitsipas has caused a stir in the tennis world after blaming the use of Melatonin for his defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros. Tsitsipas is known for his meticulous preparation and attention to detail. He admitted to taking the sleep aid in the lead-up to his second-round match against the 18-year-old Spaniard.

Currently ranked world number five, said in a post-match press conference that he had taken the sleep aid the night before the match and had struggled to wake up feeling refreshed. He also cited the disrupted sleep as a factor in his performance, saying that he felt “sluggish” on the court.

Tsitsipas said, “You know, sleep is a very important thing. And recovery is “the” most important thing when competing and playing big slams. So I made the mistake in the past before playing Novak in Bercy for one year.  I had the exact same score as I did in those first two sets. So I feel like melatonin really likes 1 and 2”, he added in the post-match conference.

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People unhappy with this ‘unusual’ explanation to Tsitsipas’ loss

Many have been quick to criticize Tsitsipas for his comments, saying that blaming a sleep aid for a defeat is a weak excuse. Former British no. 1 Tim Henman said on BBC Radio 5 Live that Tsitsipas’s comments were “ridiculous”. Others have pointed out that Tsitsipas has a history of blaming external factors for his defeats.

In January of this year, he blamed the Australian Open’s strict quarantine rules for his defeat to Novak Djokovic. While Tsitsipas’s comments may have been controversial, they have once again brought the issue of sleep and performance to the forefront.

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