Stefanos Tsitsipas reflects on love affair with tennis as he returns to site of ATP debut

James Richardson 14 Feb 2023 5:12 PM

Stefanos Tsitsipas was afforded the opportunity to reflect on the six years of his professional career as he returns to Rotterdam.

The Rotterdam Open has been a significant stop on the ATP Tour for Tsitsipas in the past.

He made his main draw debut in Rotterdam in 2017 and has enjoyed deep runs in his last two visits to the Dutch city.

Tsitsipas reached the semi-finals in 2021 and played in last season’s championship match which he lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime.

He recalled taking on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in his first match, which went down as a defeat but the Frenchman would go on to lift the title.

Tsitsipas feels that this visit is also significant as he comes into the draw as the top seed.

“I was allowed to play here against Tsonga, who eventually won the tournament. That was a very nice first experience. Now we are six years later and I am placed first (as the top seed).” Tsitsipas said during an interview with nos.nl.

“That shows how I have developed from a young boy to a man. That’s what I can call myself now.”

Tsitsipas has reached two Grand Slam finals in his career to date and notched a couple of Masters titles, but the Rotterdam title would be a sentimental favourite for the Greek.

He says that he has fallen in love with tennis more and more as he experiences incredible moments like his Australian Open run earlier this year.

Tsitsipas believes that he has loosened up which is not only allowing him to enjoy the game more but also makes him a better player.

“I’m getting more attached to the sport, I’m loving it more and more,”
“That’s something I craved for years.”

“You have periods in the year when you don’t feel like playing, when your body is very tense. You suffer from tension because you have to play so many games in a year. But now I enjoy being on the court.”

Tsitsipas describes his ideal mental state on court as being in flow.

Describing that state he said: “It felt like I was in a cage and someone decided to unlock the cage and I suddenly felt free. And every decision I went for, felt like it was absolutely the right decision at the right time. It’s what I like to call flow.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself play at such high focus levels. Everything felt like it made sense. You’re not playing with your skill anymore. You’re playing with your soul. Everything just happens automatically. Whatever you go for. You don’t even have to think anymore.”

Tsitsipas faces Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori in the first round of the Rotterdam Open on Tuesday evening.