Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals how Rafael Nadal got in his head in their first clash in Spain
Stefanos Tsitsipas has admitted that the first time he shared a court with Rafael Nadal was an overwhelming experience.
It didn’t help that they were meeting in Barcelona in 2018 with Nadal close to the peak of his powers.
Tsitsipas revealed that he felt terribly alone and vulnerable with the court seemingly belonging to his opponent.
The Greek No 1 said that his first match against Nadal brought mixed feelings as he got blown away 6-1 and 6-2 in a quick match.
“He is ruthless, has no mercy for anyone,” Tsitsipas told Eurosport when asked to recall what it was like to go up against Nadal in Barcelona.
“I felt that for the first time when I played him in Barcelona and he was completely ruthless.
“I remember his energy after the coin toss. It just felt like the stadium belongs to him and I haven’t felt that with a lot of tennis players that I’ve played and it’s really intimidating in a way.
“As a youngster, you’re not used to this feeling when you’re facing someone. So it was definitely something that I still carry with me mentally. I remember that feeling.”
The Monte Carlo champion says that back then he struggled to contain his awe when facing an icon.
Tsitsipas would eventually get the better of Nadal in Madrid in 2019, a win that he recalls gave him a sense of grand accomplishment.
“It took a while to get used to his ball to get used to also forget who is on the other side of the net. Because of course, I grew up watching him. I even had a poster in my room of him.
“So it’s difficult in the beginning. You’re like, he’s my childhood hero.
“It took a few times to get over it, and eventually I did get an amazing win against him in Madrid [in 2019], which I still remember vividly and it brings back a sense of a great accomplishment.
“I would definitely consider that one of my best wins against him. And I do have a lot of respect for him because he has done things that I don’t think any other tennis player has done besides Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
“These are three guys that have really pushed the sport to its limits. It doesn’t go any further and it sometimes shows us that these people are not even human beings in a way.”
Tsitsipas is seeded sixth in Madrid and enjoys a bye into the second round where he will face either Dusan Lajovic or Thiago Monteiro in his opening match.
He does share a quarter with Nadal and could face the Spaniard for a tenth time if both players reach the Round of 16.
