Stefanos Tsitsipas just cleared out his entire social media following list a couple of weeks ago. Zero people. Complete wipe.
The Greek tennis star, who has over 2 million followers on Instagram and nearly half a million on Twitter, unfollowed literally everyone he’d been following on his accounts.
Fans immediately started guessing what was going on. Some thought it had to do with his rumored breakup with Paula Badosa. Others figured it was just typical Tsitsipas being unpredictable online.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | 27 | 3,740 | 28 - 10 |
But there’s actually a pretty thoughtful reason behind the digital detox.
Hours of Scrolling Instead of Dealing with Stress
Tsitsipas opened up to Greek publication SDNA about what was really happening. He’d been spending way too much time scrolling through social media, especially when dealing with the stress of traveling and competing.
"Lately, with all the traveling and stress I’ve been going through, I’ve been finding my peace, disconnecting from the stress through social media, which is wrong," he explained.
The problem? He was using social media as his go-to stress relief.
"I take out all my stress by going on social media and watching videos etc. for hours, because I like them."
That’s when he realized something had to change. Hours of mindless scrolling wasn’t exactly the healthiest coping mechanism for a professional athlete.
A Multi-Year Plan to Step Back
This wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision. Tsitsipas is thinking long-term about his relationship with social media.
"I realized that it would do me good if I set a goal for the next one, two, three years or even more, to not use social media."
He’s not going completely dark though. His team still manages his professional posts, which makes sense when you think about sponsorship deals and staying connected with fans.
But the personal scrolling? That’s what he’s trying to eliminate.
Setting an Example for Young Fans
Here’s where it gets really interesting. Tsitsipas knows he’s not just a tennis player – he’s someone kids look up to. And he wants to use that influence for something positive.
"My goal is to show that I’m getting off social media and to give young kids, whether they play sports or not, an incentive to get out there too."
He’s joining other tennis players like Naomi Osaka, Grigor Dimitrov, and Andrey Rublev who’ve talked openly about mental health in sports.
The comparison trap is real, according to Tsitsipas. Social media shows everyone’s highlight reel, not their reality.
"One of the negatives I’ve noticed is that they compare your life to other people’s lives and don’t see reality. They see a nice version."
Back to Real Life Activities
What does he want young people to do instead? Pretty much everything he did as a kid before smartphones took over.
"I want young kids to be dedicated to real life, playing sports, going out, doing activities that I did when I was little," he said.
It’s a pretty refreshing take from someone who could easily just keep posting and collecting likes.
The big question now is whether Tsitsipas is actually posting his own content or if his team has taken over completely. Given that his sponsorship deals probably require a certain level of social media presence, he’ll need to stay active somehow.
But the personal consumption side of things? That’s what he’s really trying to change. And honestly, after hearing about those hours of stress-scrolling, it sounds like a pretty smart move.
