Stefanos Tsitsipas crashes out in Australian Open first round with stunning defeat to Alex Michelsen - 'Karma hit me'

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Stefanos Tsitsipas was the first big name to be dumped out of the men's draw at the 2025 Australian Open as the 11th seed was stunned in four sets by Alex Michelsen. The unseeded American came through the Greek 7-5 6-3 2-6 6-4 on John Cain Arena as an off-colour Tsitsipas blamed complacency for his shock exit, while the world No. 12 questioned his "hunger" for the sport.

'I guess karma hit me' - Tsitsipas reflects on shock first-round loss at Australian Open

Video credit: SNTV

Stefanos Tsitsipas has said that "karma has hit me" after he crashed out in the first round of the Australian Open.

The Greek, the 11th seed in Melbourne, was knocked out by the American Alex Michelsen in four sets, going down 7-5 6-3 2-6 6-4 on John Cain Arena.

Tsitsipas, playing his first tournament since the Paris Masters, has had plenty of previous success in Australia, reaching the final in 2023 and the semi-finals on three separate occasions.

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His first trip to the last four came in 2019, when he beat Roger Federer in the last 16.

He had even decided not to play in the doubles tournament with his brother Petros in Melbourne to focus on his singles campaign.

Tsitsipas questioned his hunger after his defeat, notioning that complacency could be a factor in his premature exit.

Huge shock as Michelsen stuns Tsitsipas - Australian Open highlights

Video credit: TNT Sports

"It’s quite ironic," he said.

"My whole [idea] was to try to go deep into the Australian Open. I knew the first thing I had to consider was not playing doubles.

"I guess karma hit me. I was not able to deliver or play the way I was hoping to at this year's event. The whole purpose was just to save up on some energy and be fresher, hopefully, in the deeper draw of the tournament."

"For sure, I had a fresher mind back then. It seemed like I was hungrier in a completely different way than I am now. I would definitely say that one thing that stood out the most back then is that I had this hunger to try and make a life out of tennis and to try to have a good beginning in my tennis career and my tennis journey. It's different than it is now.

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"I've been quite well-established in the last couple of years, and I have seen the game, and I have seen all variations of games around the Tour. I've done the Tour over and over again, the same circle of tournaments and events. I've experienced what it is to be on the ATP Tour. I feel like there was a different energy, a different dynamic back then."

The Greek voiced his frustration at having "too much time to recover" following his fall at the first hurdle, saying that it would "suck" to "hang around for quite a while" before his next tournament.

"I would actually say that I'm a better player now than I was back then," the world No. 12 said.

"So even though I'm losing now, and I'm not at my best, I feel like I'm much better as a player than back then, where I felt like my shots were not as heavy in terms of topspin. I was playing much flatter and much more through the court."

"The most frustrating part about losing in the first round of a Grand Slam is that you have way too much time to recover, and I would rather have the other way around where I don't have enough time to recover. Honestly, that's much, much better in terms of problem-solving.

"It just sucks in a way that I'll be around, hanging around, for quite a while now before my next tournament comes in."