"People here are so united and caring, it’s nice to see!" - Stefanos Tsitsipas following his loss in the Cincinnati Open final
Stefanos Tsitsipas penned a heartfelt message for his fans after losing to Borna Coric, 7-6(0), 6-2, in the summit clash at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Sunday.
The World No. 5 beat the likes of Diego Schwartzman, John Isner and top seed Daniil Medvedev to set up a clash with the Croat. However, Coric held his nerve in the first set to win the tie-break before breaking the Greek twice in the second set to become the lowest-ranked player to lift a Masters trophy.
After his loss, Tsitsipas took to Instagram to to reflect on his week in Cincinnati. He revealed that he hasn't touched his phone in eight days, which has helped him slow down and take things easy.
"Proud of this week. Haven’t touched my phone in more than 8 days, cause I felt like I needed it. It’s amazing how life slows down when you’re not exposed to stimulants, and constant dopamine machines like this," he wrote.
Shifting his focus presumably to the upcoming US Open, the Greek said he was looking forward to the "long battles."
"Some long battles to endure. Plenty of running and fighting. Day and night. Out there battling it out with my “sword”."
Tsitsipas also applauded the people of Mason, Ohio, calling them "united and caring."
"Mason is quiet special I got to say. People here are so united and caring, it’s nice to see!" he concluded.
"What a great kid!" - Stefanos Tsitsipas heaps praises on Holger Rune
In the same post on Instagram, Tsitsipas showered praise on his doubles teammate, Holger Rune.
The Greek paired up with the Dane in the doubles category at the Cincinnati Open. The unseeded pair registered hard-fought wins over fifth seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic and fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer to reach the last four.
Unfortunately, Tsitsipas decided to pull out of the tournament to concentrate on the singles final.
Tsitsipas spoke about having a lot of fun with the Dane, while appreciating his "rocket-fuelled Viking returns."
"Having plenty of fun on-court, experiencing the competitiveness and liveliness that @holgerrune has to offer with his rocket-fuelled Viking returns. What a great kid!" Tsitsipas wrote.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune will now set their sights on the US Open, which will begin on August 29 in New York.