Stefanos Tsitsipas has moved to clarify recent remarks about why he has not played regularly in South America.
After his earlier comments sparked debate, Tsitsipas addressed the situation directly.
“Over the last days, I’ve seen a lot of discussion around comments I made about scheduling tournaments and appearance fees, so I want to clarify things in a simple and honest way.”
He stressed that his words were not meant as criticism.
“First of all, I truly enjoy playing in South America. The passion of the fans there is special and I have a lot of respect for the tournaments and the culture around tennis in that region. My comments were never a complaint and never meant as criticism.”
Tsitsipas explained that financial structure plays a role in how players build their schedules.
“On the ATP Tour, players outside of prize money have very limited ways to support their careers financially. The reality is that ATP 250 and ATP 500 events are often the only opportunities where appearance fees exist.”
“Because of that, scheduling decisions are sometimes influenced by those factors. This is not unique to me. It is a standard model followed by many players, especially those competing at the top level.”
He added that his earlier remarks were simply an honest response to a question.
“I was simply answering a question about why my calendar sometimes looks the way it does. I was explaining something that is common knowledge inside professional tennis, not expressing negativity toward any country or tournament.”
Tsitsipas ended by reaffirming his appreciation for playing globally.
“I have great appreciation for every place I compete in and I hope to play in many different regions of the world in the future as well.”
