Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals winning a Grand Slam is not his biggest career goal

Ewan West 05 Aug 2023 1:35 PM

A delighted Stefanos Tsitsipas after a match

Stefanos Tsitsipas has declared that he would choose being ranked No 1 in the world over winning a Grand Slam title in his career.

The Greek described reaching the top of the rankings as “something special” and “a sign that you have reached the maximum in your career.”

The 24-year-old currently sits fifth in the ATP Rankings on 4,850 points, with Carlos Alcaraz leading on 9,225 points.

Tsitsipas has been ranked as high as No 3 in the world and would have reached top spot had he beaten Novak Djokovic in this year’s Australian Open final.

He is currently in action at the ATP 250 tournament in Los Cabos, where he is set to face world No 19 Alex De Minaur in the final.

In an interview with E L UNIVERSAL Deportes, Tsitsipas explained why he would prefer to be world No 1 than win a major.

“Did you know? I’ll trade it for being number one. It is definitely something special, it is a sign that you have reached the maximum in your career and I like it when you are able to maximize everything. This way, one day I will be able to tell my grandchildren that I have been number one,” revealed the Greek.

The 24-year-old spoke about the prospect of topping the rankings ahead of his defeat to Djokovic in Melbourne.

“I like that number. It’s all about you, it’s singular. It’s one,” he said at the 2023 Australian Open.

“These are the moments that I have been working hard for. To be able to able to play in finals like this, finals that have a bigger meaning, it’s a Grand Slam final, I am fighting for the No 1 spot.

“It’s a childhood dream to capture that No 1 spot one day. I am close. I am happy that the opportunity comes here in Australia and not somewhere else as this is a place of significance.”

The former ATP Finals champion also expressed his motivation to claim the title in Los Cabos and was full of praise for the hard-court event.

“I want to write my own little piece of history here, on this court. It’s definitely a great destination for tennis. I think the choice to make this a 250 tennis event this season of the year is a very good idea,” Tsitsipas added.

Tsitsipas is looking to win his first ATP title since the Mallorca Championships in June last year.