Tsitsipas ends 18-month title drought with Gstaad championship win

Stefanos Tsitsipas has ended his title drought, capturing his first ATP trophy in 18 months at the Gstaad tournament in Switzerland. The 27-year-old Greek player defeated Belgium's Rafael Collignon 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3 in a hard-fought final that lasted over two hours.

This victory marks the 13th ATP title of Tsitsipas's career. His last triumph was in Dubai in February of the previous year. The win is a welcome resurgence for the former world No. 3, who has seen his ranking slip to 85th this year after reaching his career-high in 2021. He has also been a runner-up in two Grand Slam finals: the French Open in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2023.

Tsitsipas also boasts a victory at the 2019 ATP Finals in London and has won the Monte Carlo Masters three times. For Collignon, reaching the Gstaad final was his first appearance in an ATP Tour final, highlighting a significant step in his career.

The tournament in Gstaad was played on clay courts and offered a prize fund of 612,620 euros. The match itself showcased Tsitsipas's resilience as he battled back after losing the second set in a tiebreak to secure the championship.