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American-football Stefanos Tsitsipas on the Improvements in His Game, His Off-Court Mindset and Thoughts on Fellow Tennis Pros
Tennis superstar and one of the favourites at the first grand slam of the season in Australia, Stefanos Tsitsipas, sat down for a chat with Alexis Menuge, and I had the privilege of having a few questions of my own answered.
In this article:
Tsitsipas on his Progress On and Off the Court
To start things off, Menuge asked the World No. 4 about whether he believes he’s ready to take the next step, as he’s made the semifinals in Melbourne on three occasions. Tsitsipas was candid in his answer.
“I think I’ve matured a bit over the past few months, so I’m aware that if I’m able to reach my potential in Melbourne, I’ll have a good chance of winning my first Grand Slam title to win a career. This also includes a little bit of luck and certain details such as the form on the day, which will play an important role.”
The progression of his mental game certainly would help – his tactics against former nemesis Daniil Medvedev have already improved drastically in the last few meetings. His recognition of luck and form (in other words, variance) coming into play on any given day is also a sign that he’s not going to rush things and has developed the necessary patience for winning at the highest levels.
I wanted to know what he’s done to improve his game, especially on return, on quicker surfaces. His response was multifaceted and gives an insight into how much goes into improving.
“I’ve improved a lot in my defensive play on the baseline. I’ve been toiling a lot in the past few months, both on the court and in the weight room. I have completely changed my diet for this.”
“I’ve become more consistent, I make fewer mistakes, even if it’s supposed to get better. That’s also because I’m not as hectic as I used to be. This makes my game more efficient overall. I’ve also gotten smarter and have found that I always play better under pressure.”
Finally, I wanted to know what goes into his philosophical presence on social media that sometimes draws the ire of some fans. Once again, Tsitsipas responded rather candidly.
“I’m a guy who reflects a lot and likes to reflect. I think a lot about my past to make my future even better…Basically, I’m nostalgic.”
