“It’s a combination of body, mind and soul, all put together at the right place at the right time,” Stefanos Tsitsipas says as he searches for the mysterious difference that turns an outstanding tennis player, who has reached multiple semi-finals and finals, into a grand slam winner. Tsitsipas has lost twice to Novak Djokovic in grand slam finals, at the French and Australian Open, where he has also reached three other semi-finals.
In Paris, in 2021, he won the first two sets before Djokovic unleashed his full ferocity and intensity. Last year, Tsitsipas would have become world No 1 had he beaten Djokovic in the Australian Open final. Instead, he lost two tie-breaks in a straight-sets defeat and the rest of his year became an injury-plagued struggle which has seen him slip to seventh in the rankings.
“I have skills and I know how to hit the ball,” Tsitsipas says with winning understatement. “My body can withstand long matches and so we have solved that puzzle already. The mind is the next big chapter that I need to unlock to give me seven consistent victories [to win a slam]. How can I beat top-form athletes back-to-back? Not just one, but perhaps three or four during a tournament. Once I figure that out, everything will happen naturally.”
Tsitsipas nods intently when I ask if, despite the disappointments of 2023, his belief runs as strong as ever. “Yes, for sure,” he says before cracking a dazzling smile. “I’m a late bloomer.”
It’s a good joke which pops the balloon of expectation that has hung over Tsitsipas for years, ever since he was the world’s best junior player and then the leader of the heralded next generation of young superstars meant to replace Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Djokovic. That burden has now been assumed by Carlos Alcaraz, still only 20 and ranked second to Djokovic, and Jannik Sinner, 22, the world No 4.
“Carlos has two [grand slams] so far, against Novak and [Casper] Ruud,” Tsitsipas says. “I’m waiting for my chance. I’m 25 years old so I still have plenty of time. But I am not that kid that used to hunt for big wins with nothing to lose. Now there are younger kids on the block that want to show off their new cars, and I need to show I’m still here, like Novak, and that this is not over. I still think my old-looking car is still pretty cool. It’s vintage.”
Tsitsipas talks more seriously about the challenge, or ordeal, of having to overcome the perennial might of Djokovic who will be aiming to win his 25th grand slam in Australia. “He keeps improving constantly and I see a better Novak Djokovic now than in 2020,” he says of the 36-year-old. “Against Novak you need to be in your best possible shape. There are no excuses with him. You can’t fool around for a single point so your levels of concentration against him have to be the highest that you can reach. It’s difficult at times to fight back and find something because he has added a lot of strategy and simplicity as well. He doesn’t over-complicate things.
“His flexibility is mind-blowing, the way he can stretch and run, and also the precision of his shot-making. Not the tallest guy on the tour but he remains one of the toughest servers. Whenever we face Novak we know that this is a serious heist and most of the time it does not work out.”
He is more cryptic when asked if there are lessons he can take from his two victories over Djokovic in 13 matches. “Yes, and I’ve been analysing them a lot. So let’s just see.”
Tsitsipas is back in Australia, rejuvenated at the tournament he loves most, after a disappointing year. “It wasn’t the best period of my life and it did bring me down a lot. I made a strong start, getting to the final in Australia, and I was feeling great. Then the injury to my shoulder occurred out of nowhere and my confidence dropped. I was not out there winning matches as much as before. There were a few gaps during the year. Of course the goal was never to finish the year at No 6. I won’t settle for this as there’re much bigger things for me than that.”
How did he cope with his slump in fitness and form? “I try and sort it out myself because the biggest strength is within yourself. It requires wisdom, patience and the right people around you. In my case, it’s my family.”
Tsitsipas’s extraordinary rise from the tennis wilderness of Greece was shaped by his parents. His mother, Julia, was a tennis pro from the then Soviet Union while his father, Apostolos, was a professional coach in Athens. “I learnt a lot from my mum because she was involved in my tennis upbringing more than my father in the beginning. She loved me very much and she wasn’t as committed to me becoming a professional tennis player. She knew I could do a lot in life.
“But later on, seeing my talent, my dad gave up everything and dedicated his whole life to me. I’m thankful because, without his commitment and risk-taking, I wouldn’t be here now. He took a lot of criticism for it, because he literally left everything to be with me. But I’m proud because we’ve been through all the ups and downs and it worked out pretty well.”
When his father gave up his steady job, Greece was reeling from a devastating financial crisis. “That shows his character,” Tsitsipas says, “because it was one of the worst moments in Greek history. I went through a lot of hardships. Obviously tennis is expensive and my father was struggling. The banks wouldn’t let him withdraw X amount of money each day so it was very stressful for him. As a kid I felt it, but I had so much belief in my skills that I was determined to make it, to give my parents a better life.”
His mother’s twin sister and another family friend “helped me out financially and they never expected anything in return. Usually people borrowing money are expected to pay back 10 times the amount. But they just wanted the best for me. They weren’t seeing me as an investment. Where I am now brings them so much happiness and joy. I actually saw my auntie last week and I love her dearly.”
Tsitsipas has been criticised for retaining his father as his coach with many pundits arguing that his attempts to become a major winner would be enhanced by a different voice in his box. Last year he worked briefly again with Mark Philippoussis, who also reached two grand slam finals without winning one as a player, before reverting to his dad as his sole coach.
“I feel better having less people in my team,” he says. “I felt at times oversaturated [with Philippoussis] and this is much better now. It’s the perfect scenario.” Tsitsipas seems genuinely happy as his relationship with the Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa is thriving from their base in Dubai. “I truly believe she is the right person at my side and vice versa for her. We laugh a lot and got to the finals of a mixed doubles event in Abu Dhabi last month. She has the same seriousness as me on court.”
Could they play in the mixed doubles in Australia? “It’s a difficult decision because I really want to play with her. But my main priority is singles and it’s important to economise my energy during these hopefully deep runs. I am already committed to playing doubles with my brother [Petros]. So three events would be too demanding.”
His simmering rivalry with Nick Kyrgios has eased a little. Kyrgios is injured and won’t play in Australia. “Everything is cool,” Tsitsipas says while suggesting that the Australian still needs to control himself on court. “There’s no tension. He’s just different and I have to respect that. It’s great for the sport. What is not cool, though, is when an opponent is trying to disrupt you during the match and doesn’t approach it fair and square. He’s talking to the umpire, to people outside the court, while you are trying to serve. You’re not there to talk, you’re there to play. When things get twisted it can be frustrating. I think he understands he was wrong and as long as he accepts his mistakes and if we have a fair match against each other that doesn’t include any of these antics I am OK to move on.”
After their fractious 2022 match at Wimbledon, Tsitsipas spoke last year of Kyrgios bringing an NBA attitude to tennis – which some misconstrued as an attack tinged with racism. Tsitsipas is friends with Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the NBA’s current great players. He still acknowledges that “I definitely made a mistake there describing the situation. I have lots of respect for NBA athletes and I love basketball. It’s my favourite sport to watch. Perhaps what I meant is that when [Kyrgios] trash-talks he follows an etiquette tennis is not used to. It reminded me of the NBA and how LeBron James and Kobe Bryant trash-talked each other all the time. He is also trying to bring all that basketball attire to tennis which is zero problem. So things are good right now.”
Antetokounmpo, tagged the “Greek Freak” in the NBA, remains a huge inspiration to Tsitsipas. “Giannis is a big reason why I push myself to become better. He is a great source of motivation for me. I look up to him. I admire his skill, his mindset, his ethics. He has the full package and I love the guy. I aspire to one day be like him. I wish we could speak more often but he lives in the US and we both travel so much. I know he respects me a lot. I’ve seen that in his eyes. He understands my life extremely well and we’ve had a lot of interesting conversations about the mentality you need to be the best that you can actually be. There aren’t many top guys out there that are humble like him. That’s the biggest, most positive thing about him because for a guy with such a big presence and personality it’s difficult to stay grounded. But he is just like any other regular guy.”
Tsitsipas also sounds like a pretty regular guy when talking about a wide range of subjects beyond tennis. He is interesting and engaging company, especially when he speaks passionately about his love of photography, his attempts to become more creative away from the grind of the tour and the possibilities of working in sustainability or in the arts once his career ends. But, with the Australian Open beginning on Sunday, we return one last time to his current tennis obsession.
Tsitsipas rocks back in his chair and smiles when I ask if his life would feel incomplete if he never won a grand slam? “I don’t even think about it,” he says. “I’m a happy person, living a happy life, pursuing my dream life. Nothing would be a failure for me.”
