Stefanos Tsitsipas is confident he has finally ended his grasscourt hoodoo by winning his first title on the surface.
The 23-year-old has only once made it out of the first round at Wimbledon in four attempts but won the Mallorca Open on grass at the weekend.
The world No6 has long had the sort of serve-volleying game suited to grass but only once has he made an inroads at Wimbledon by reaching the fourth round back in 2018.
That has been the exception rather than the norm but he said: “People kind of doubted that I can play on grass, I think it’s fair to say. I never doubted myself.
“I said that I can play on this surface and it remains one of my favourite surfaces that tennis has to offer.
“I guess I proved myself last week that it’s not a surface that I don’t like. I like playing on grass, probably more than on clay.
“Last year was difficult for me. I didn’t play a single match before Wimbledon on grass. I was trying to play on grass like I did on clay, which was a huge mistake. Technique wise, tactic wise, it all fell apart. “For me, it’s a new start here at Wimbledon. I see myself a little bit different in terms of how I perceive this surface in particular. The thing that I hope for this year is just get past the first round and see where that leads after.”
