EXCLUSIVE NEWS: Stefanos Tsitsipas officially speaks for the first time after breaking up with his girl friend Paulo Badosa in an…

Right person, wrong time? Stefanos Tsitsipas opens up about split from Paulo Badosa in Rome.

Paula Badosa sent shockwaves through the tennis world when she announced Sunday that she and Stefanos Tsitsipas had split up after a year of dating.

“Tsitsidosa,” as we knew it, was over.

Badosa spoke more about the breakup, which occurred following a first-round loss Mutua Madrid Open,

in the aftermath of a winning return to the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

“Emotionally, it hasn’t been easy these past days, but I’m a strong person, so I’m trying to deal with everything as much as I can,” she told me about an

hour removed from defeating 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, 6-2, 6-3 on Campo Centrale. “I’m quite proud of myself, with how I’m doing.”

The former world No. 2 had enjoyed a whirlwind courtship with Tsitsipas, a former world No. 3, since revealing their relationship via a joint Spotify account during 2023 Roland Garros.

A joint Instagram and couple name followed and soon Tsitsidosa were everywhere:

watching each others’ matches and posing for high-fashion photos shot by Radka Leitmeritz.

“When we were great, the relationship was great,” she reflected. “Other times, we have our own careers, our own things, and sometimes it’s better to separate ways.

“This reminds me a lot of the story of Maria [Sharapova] and Grigor [Dimitrov], where you meet the right person but maybe in the wrong moment. It’s a little bit like this.”

.The pair most recently took the court for a mixed doubles exhibition during the BNP Paribas Open Tsitsipas later spoke about trying to support Badosa

through what has been an injury-addled year for the Spaniard, who has been snake-bitten by a persistent back issue that she revealed required a cortisone injection.

“I’m trying to find the right words and the right things to say,” he said back in March. “Obviously when it started in the beginning, you have a lot of faith in it and you’re, like, ‘Okay, you just need to stay committed in the process of healing and getting better.’

But after a while, there aren’t many things you can say, because you are confused yourself with what’s happening with the body.

“I’m just there as much as I can to keep making her feel good that at least we are together and we’re trying to find solution together.”

Badosa announced the split on social media, explaining “It’s not easy when we started a relationship being so public. It’s like you have to finish it the same way.

“We have a great relationship between us. He’s a great guy and I wish him the best. I know that it’s the same on his side.

I have so much support from everyone: my family, my team, my friends. I even feel support from his team and his family.