In the midst of his best ever run at the French Open Stefanos Tsitsipas has stated that he is ‘not a NextGen player any more’ after reaching the semi-finals on Wednesday.
The world No.6 eased his way to a 7-5, 6-2, 6-3, win over Andrey Rublev in what was a repeat of the Hamburg Open final last month which Tsitsipas lost. The 22-year-old has become the first player from his country to have ever reached the last four at Roland Garros. It is only the second time he reached this stage of a Grand Slam after the 2019 Australian Open.
“You cannot expect anything. I wasn’t expecting to play in the semi-finals of the Australian Open to start with. It’s a dream, of course,” he said about his run in the majors.
“I’ve been expecting since a young age to potentially triumph at these Grand Slams. I’m happy that I’m able to be in a position where I am today. It’s very, very satisfying. I think I can learn from the previous one. I’m chasing something spectacular.”
The question is do the Greek have what it takes to go all the way to the title and break the stronghold of the Big Three? Since 2005 the only member outside of the trio to have won the title was Stan Wawrinka five years ago. Rafael Nadal is the dominant force of the event with a record 12 titles to his name and a win-loss record of 98-2. Top seed Novak Djokovic also remains in title contention.
Whilst he may not be the bookmakers’ favourite, Tsitsipas is not lacking in belief when it comes to potentially claiming the title. Jokingly proclaiming that he has graduated from the NextGen contingent into a ‘real man.’
Tsitsipas is also taking inspiration from another player on the Tour in the shape of Dominic Thiem. A two-time French Open finalist who recently won the US Open. Thiem is the first ATP player to win his first major title since 2014.
“What Dominic has achieved is amazing,” said Tsitsipas. “Being able to reach back-to-back finals at the French Open is truly inspiring.’
“Dominic is someone who makes me understand the game and makes me want to push even further to reach what he has reached. He’s a nice guy off the court. Big workaholic on the court.’
“We’re good friends. I think I can learn a lot from him and add it to my game. For the young guys, he’s someone that I really look up to.”
Tsitsipas’ next challenge will be top seed Djokovic in the semi-finals on Friday. The world No.1 looked at times to be far from his best as he struggled with a an physical issue during his four-set win over Pablo Carreno Busta.
“An injury is not going to play anything. I have to play the way I have to play,” Tsitsipas commented.
“We might as well just forget about it because I’m approaching that match with the same intensity and the same focus that I’ve been doing the last few matches.”
Tsitsipas Trails Djokovic 2-3 in their head-to-head.
