Stefanos Tsitsipas insists that he doesn’t get big match nerves
Stefanos Tsitsipas has shot down the suggestion that he could suffer from big match nerves.
Tsitsipas has nine career ATP titles but those have come from a total of 26 finals at various levels.
He has lost two Grand Slam finals, going down to Novak Djokovic in Paris in 2021 and Melbourne earlier this term.
Tsitsipas has also lost four of the six ATP 1000 Masters series finals that he has played in with his only successes at that level being his back-to-back Monte Carlo wins in 2021 and 2022.
He believes that he can get over the line in big finals by being more clinical in taking his chances and cutting out errors.
“Just giving away less unforced errors,” Tsitsipas told Tennis Channel at the Italian Open.
“I feel like I had matches against top guys, especially finals, I’ve lost a few of them, I’ve lost finals in my opinion that I shouldn’t have lost.
“I wouldn’t blame it on nerves because it is not nerves. I am ready for these matches.
“I feel like I’m giving away unforced errors, making them feel a little bit more comfortable of what they should feel like. I know I have big shots. It’s just a matter of how I’m going to utilize them correctly and when I am going to use them in the proper way.
“Sometimes I am rushing because I feel like I can get the job done straightaway but it’s just deeper than that. It’s not as easy as I make it look like in my head.”
Tsitsipas feels that he has to play a patient game and admits to being inspired by the play of David Ferrer.
“If I am able to rally like, I don’t know if you remember David Ferrer, such a good groundstroke player,” Tsitsipas said.
“Just running around the court, super consistent, never over hitting or under hitting, very consistent.
“I respect him a lot because he makes tennis look so, of course, hard, but it’s also so simple in a way to look at. You don’t have to do something crazy to win the point.”
Tsitsipas took the first set of his Rome Masters clash with home hope Lorenzo Sonego before rain forced play to be suspended at the Foro Italico.
Despite being yet to claim a title on the clay swing, Tsitsipas is considered a strong prospect for the French Open title, albeit behind the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
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