Stefanos Tsitsipas suffers shock first-round loss to Daniel Galán at US Open
The former world No. 5 was fighting for his life against a powerful-looking Galán at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday but could never find a way past him. Tsitsipas, a two-time Grand Slam champion and four-time Masters champion, lost 6-2, 6-2 to a player he saw as the strongest in the world during a hard-fought match for fourth-ranked and world No. 5.
The 20-year-old Galán is from Mexico, which has a population of 16 million and a tennis court that is bigger than the average tennis court in Spain. Tsitsipas, who is 7-5 on match points as a professional, won his last six matches in the second set and was never tested by Galán.
Galán, who has a reputation as a serious competitor, was aggressive from the first point and Tsitsipas tried to keep his cool. It was the kind of match he expected but it was also different from his previous encounters, which all ended in the first set.
“I had high hopes,” Tsitsipas said. “I knew he was a player. He’s one of the best in the world and on top of that he’s an amazing talent. I tried to be very aggressive with the first point. Then I felt pressure from him after the first point. He wanted to play every point as hard as he could during the point. Then I had to be aggressive and be patient in the second set.
“It was an amazing experience. I couldn’t believe it happened. I could hear him breathing, so I knew he was feeling it. It’s very hard to find something I’m not used to. The first set went well but in the second set he was able to get me in some more pressure points and I didn’t have the strength to be able to do what I had to do.”
It was a hard-fought match both mentally and physically and Tsitsipas could not overcome it.
“My body started to feel a bit tired, but it was the same as it had been the three previous times I played him,” he said. “This time he had his
