The night was supposed to be quiet – one of those rare evenings when Stefanos Tsitsipas could slip into anonymity behind the wheel of his sleek Lotus, away from the noise of headlines and the harsh glare of a season that never truly took off. But as he sped down Attiki Odos, the Athens expressway slicing through the dark, the road offered him the kind of freedom he had been chasing all year. Maybe a little too much of it.

At 210 km/hr, Tsitsipas wasn’t just outrunning traffic – he was perhaps briefly outrunning the frustration of a disappointing season that was filled with multiple injury concerns and lack of form. But Attiki Odos’ digital eye never blinks. One flash. One record. One message. And just like that, the Greek star found himself facing a digital fine of €2,000 ($2308), not from an opponent, not from the ATP, but from the law.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has now become one of the first to receive the digital fine via gov.gr as he was recorded by the new “smart cameras”.  Greece has now begun issuing digital traffic fines automatically via gov.gr, utilizing these innovations on major roads. This new surveillance system aims to increase road safety and reduce the number of road accidents by enforcing traffic rules digitally. Now, the drivers will receive immediate notifications of violations and fines directly in their personal gov.gr accounts.

Following this incident, the tennisnews.gr contacted Stefanos Tsitsipas’ lawyer, Thanasis Papathanasiou. According to the lawyer’s statement, “Regarding the incident that was made public, the car was being driven by a third person. The issue of the fine and the surrender of the license have all been handled.” However, earlier rumors claimed that the tennis star was in the driver’s seat, and hence, his license was suspended for one year.

It seems nothing is going right for Tsitsipas at the moment, be it on court or off court! But let me tell you that he wasn’t the only superstar who made the headlines for facing legal issues over rash driving. Even actress Dimitra Matsouka got arrested in Vouliagmeni for driving 97 km/hr in a 50 km/hr zone, without a license, and with removed license plates. 

Coming back to Stefanos Tsitsipas, for a player who has spent the year searching for rhythm, the timing couldn’t have been more symbolic. On court, he was fighting to reclaim his place among the top contenders. Off court, he now had a different kind of challenge waiting in his inbox. How does Tsitsipas sum up his 2025 season, though? Also, let’s find out his goals for 2026.

What forced Stefanos Tsitsipas to end his 2025 season abruptly, and what are his targets for 2026?

For most of 2025, Stefanos Tsitsipas seemed to be fighting a battle on two fronts – one against his opponents across the net and another against his own body. Just to draw a comparison, last year he played 65 matches and had a win rate of 66.2%, but this year, the Greek could only play 38 matches with a win record of 55.3%. He was forced to give a walkover to Arthur Fils in the QF of the Barcelona Open, and then again at Wimbledon, he did the same in the first-round match against Valentin Royer.

Nothing has gone right for him this season. The player who used to feature regularly in the Top 10 (reached his career-high rank of world number 3 on 9 August 2021) has now dropped to 34. His only title triumph came in February at the Dubai Tennis Championships, but his win percentage this season was the lowest since 2017. Tsitsipas didn’t even make it past the second round at Grand Slams and only reached the QF once at the Masters event.

While summing up the 2025 season, he once admitted, “I need a healthy body to give myself more chances to maybe rebound and be back in the top five. If I’m not going to be healthy, it’s going to be a very difficult task for me to be at the top of my game again…My body has not been where I want it to be. Call it chronic overtraining, overuse, or the demand of the tour. I don’t know what it is. I wish I had an answer, but I have played a lot of matches in my life, and my body is feeling it at this very moment.”

Seeing his performance at the Davis Cup, former pro Steve Johnson even claimed, “Tsitsipas is a rudderless boat at the moment. He has no idea what he’s doing. He just looks lost, I don’t know. He’s got to find some way to, like, get it back.” 

Talking about the exact reason behind his abrupt ending to the season, he said his doctor has advised him to take rest and focus on recovery to be ready for the 2026 season. It’ll be interesting to see if he can bounce back on track after a chaotic 2025 season.

But now, with the bruises of the year beginning to fade, the fire within him burns brighter than ever. The results may have been disappointing, but the hunger remains intact. He even stated, “I want to come back stronger in 2026.” Do you think Stefanos Tsitsipas can be a real contender at the major tournaments next year?