Stefanos Tsitsipas: ‘I still have plenty of time; I’m a late bloomer’
The seventh-ranked player in the world wants to improve on his injury-plagued 2023 performance at the Australian Open this year.
Stefanos Tsitsipas describes it as a “combination of body, mind, and spirit, all put together at the right location at the right moment” while he tries to figure out what supernatural difference makes a superb tennis player who has advanced to numerous semifinals and finals become a grand slam champion. In major slam finals at the French and Australian Opens, where he has also advanced to three other semifinals, Tsitsipas has fallen to Novak Djokovic twice.
He took the first two sets in Paris in 2021 until Djokovic showed all of his fire and aggression. Tsitsipas might have surpassed Djokovic in the Australian Open final last year to take the top spot in the world rankings. Rather, he fell short in two tie-breaks during a straight-sets loss, and the remainder of the year was a battle marred by injuries that caused him to drop to sixth in the rankings.
Tsitsipas declares, “I have talents, and I know how to hit the ball,” with a winning understatement. Since my body can tolerate extended matches, we’ve already figured out the mystery. The next major chapter that I have to open in order to give myself seven straight victories [to win a slam] is my thinking. How can I defeat elite athletes consecutively? During a tournament, maybe three or four, not just one. Everything will come organically once I figure it out.
When I ask Tsitsipas if his belief is still the same as it was in 2023, he nods thoughtfully. “Yes, without a doubt,” he replies before beaming brightly. “I developed slowly.”
It’s a clever joke that bursts the bubble of anticipation that has been hanging over Tsitsipas for years, ever since he emerged as the top junior player in the world and went on to head the anticipated new generation of youthful superstars tipped to take the place of Djokovic, Federer, and Rafael Nadal. Jannik Sinner, 22, the world No. 4 player, and Carlos Alcaraz, 20, who is still only 20 and ranked second to Djokovic, have now taken up that task.
According to Tsitsipas, “Carlos has already delivered two [grand slams] against Novak and [Casper] Ruud.” “I’m awaiting my opportunity. I still have a lot of time because I’m only 25 years old. But I’m not that kid anymore who was content to lose everything in search of enormous gains. I need to demonstrate that, like Novak, I’m still here and that this is not the end since now there are younger kids in the neighborhood who want to show off their new automobiles. My old-looking automobile still looks very good, in my opinion. It’s antique.
Tsitsipas addresses the difficulty—ordeal, if you will—of defeating Novak Djokovic, who is returning to the Australian Open with the goal of winning his 25th grand slam. Regarding the 36-year-old, he remarks, “He keeps getting better all the time, and I see a better Novak Djokovic now than in 2020.” “You have to be as fit as possible to take on Novak. There are none when it comes to him. Your levels of focus against him must be at their greatest since you cannot waste time on even one point. He’s added a lot of simplicity and strategy, so at times it’s hard to fight back and discover something. He avoids making things too complicated.
“His ability to stretch and run, as well as the accuracy with which he makes shots, is astounding.” Though he isn’t the tallest guy on the tour, he is nonetheless among the most resilient servers. We are aware that dealing with Novak is a dangerous heist, and things rarely turn out well.
When asked if he has learned anything from his two wins over Djokovic in 13 encounters, he becomes even more evasive. Yes, and I have been giving them a lot of analysis. So let’s observe for now.
After a lackluster year, Tsitsipas is back in Australia, revitalized at the tournament he loves most. “It did pull me down a lot, and it wasn’t the best time in my life.” I was feeling really good after having a wonderful start and making it to the final in Australia. Subsequently, my confidence declined due to an unexpected injury to my shoulder. I wasn’t winning as many matches as I used to. Throughout the year, there were a few gaps. Naturally, finishing the year at No. 6 was never the intention. There are far greater things for me than this, so I won’t settle for that.
How did he handle his decline in form and fitness? “I attempt to resolve things on my own since you are your own greatest asset. It takes patience, insight, and the proper people in your life. For me, it’s my family.
