Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas has said he will donate €3000 to a charity close to his heart for every win he achieves in the doubles.
The world No.6 is playing at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam this week where he is the second seed. Tsitsipas has also paired up with his brother Petros to play in the doubles tournament. It is the fourth time they have played together on the ATP Tour and they are yet to win a match at that level. Earlier this year the Tsitsipas brothers lost in the first round of the Australian Open.
“I have not said this publicly again, but I do not mind sharing it. I decided that for every victory we will make with Petros on the tour, I will donate 3,000 euros to “Together for the Children,” Tsitsipas told reporters following his win first round win in the singles on Tuesday.
“They will go to this organization, I have been supporting them for a few years now as an ambassador and I see it as something that can push us to win even more.”
Together for Children is a Greek non-government Association of various member organizations that provides support to an estimated 30,000 children each year. Those organisations support children who have been affected by factors such as chronic illness, the loss of a family member, domestic violence and other issues. Tsitsipas is one of two ambassadors along with TV presenter Duchess Nomikou.
“I met the people of “Together for Children” and I was inspired by the work they offer to thousands of children in need in Greece who face difficulties in their daily lives. I believe it is my duty to contribute to the efforts made for these children,” the three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist is quoted as saying on their official website.
Tsitsipas’ first doubles match will be Wednesday afternoon when he and his brother face the Belgian duo of Joran Vliegen and Sander Gillé who won the Singapore Open last week. The last time they won a competitive match together was back in 2016 when they reached the final of a ITF Futures tournament in Santa Margherita Di Pula, Italy.
As for the singles, Tsitsipas will return to action on Thursday to take on Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the second round. This week he is seeking to win his first title of any sport since February 2020.
“We’ve played a lot in the past. He’s a great opponent, he’s been giving me a hard time. It’s a challenge going into that match,” he said of facing Hurkacz. “He can serve well, he has a great backhand that he can play both cross and down the line, so I think that’s one of his biggest weapons. His forehand, I would say he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes from that side. But overall he’s a very solid, very consistent player.”
Tsitsipas has a win-loss record of 7-1 so far this season.