Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas won his first competitive tennis match in nearly four months at the 2026 United Cup. That straight set win gave Team Greece the win over Team Japan.
Greece defeats Japan in Group E 🚨
Tsitsipas secures victory for his country with a straight sets win over Mochizuki 🔥#UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/MZY5ERhGqS
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 2, 2026
With Maria Sakkari earning Team Greece a win over Japan’s Naomi Osaka, Tsitsipas took the court against 2019 Wimbledon junior champion Shintaro Mochizuki with a lead.
Tsitsipas dealt with a debilitating back injury in 2025. It was an eerie coincidence because his former longtime girlfriend Paula Badosa also has dealt with a similar injury in recent years.
At a United Cup press conference, Tsitsipas admitted that he considered retirement and is hoping for a healthy 2026. He is working with the top back specialists in the world who have helped him in recent months without surgery.
Stefanos Tsitsipas One-Handed Backhand
I forgot how much I missed watching an ATP player with a seamless and powerful one-handed backhand. When it’s on, Tsitsipas’s is unique among a growing group of male players using a two-handed backhand.
Tsitsipas got off to a slow start, going down 0-2 in the match before winning three straight games.
It was a good first outing for the former World No. 3 who is a two-time Grand Slam finalist and had a two set lead over Novak Djokovic at the 2021 French Open.
Mixed Doubles Is Next With Maria Sakkari
Tsitsipas is expected to take the court shortly in a mixed doubles match with Maria Sakkari.
The Tsitsipas and Sakkari Greek team were quarterfinalists in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Maria Sakkari Confirmed Engagement
Tsitsipas’s Greek compatriot Maria Sakkari confirmed her recent engagement to longtime boyfriend Konstantinos Mitsotakis, son of the Greek Prime Minister.
A 2027 wedding is planned.
Sakarri’s news reminded us of the time years ago when she and Tsitsipas were answering rapid fire questions about who would marry first, and she was convinced that it would be Stefanos when he was with Badosa.
Tennis fans would love a Tsitsipas and Badosa reunion, but in the meantime, congratulations are extended to Sakkari and Mitsotakis who gave the bride-to-be his mother’s engagement ring.
