Stefanos Tsitsipas in Stuttgart: underwear, fire extinguishers and lots of ice
Stefanos Tsitsipas , fifth in the world rankings, presented himself relaxed and very personable at a press event in Stuttgart on Tuesday. The number one of the BOSS OPEN spoke about the feel-good atmosphere at TC Weissenhof, the "passion for lawn tennis" and shopping tours through Stuttgart. On Thursday, Tsitsipas meets the talented Swiss Dominic Stricker in the round of 16.
by p.m
last edit: Jun 07, 2022, 02:43 pm
How are the conditions here at the Weissenhof in Stuttgart?
Stefanos Tsitsipas: Great! I've never been here and didn't know what to expect. But everything is great. It's nice to play in a real club, it just feels more personal. I'm not a big fan of locations that are fresh out of the ground and have no tradition. I've also looked at the city, which I rarely do normally. It's my first grass tournament this year and I'll try everything to do well.
You are here with your parents and you will play doubles with your brother Petros.
It's very special because we don't get the chance to play together that often. We have a very special relationship and deserve to play together on the ATP tour. I am very grateful to the people who made this possible. Doubles is something very special at events like this - especially when I can play with my brother. It's fun to combine personal goals like singles with a family business. Playing here with my brother is a dream come true.
How big is the mental switch from sand to grass in Stuttgart at the French Open?
Even though I'm not satisfied with my past results, lawn tennis has always been on my mind. I love this rubber no matter what my results say. In recent years, unfortunately, I haven't been able to show what I'm capable of on grass. I want to change that this year and will invest everything in it.
When you're number 1 in a tournament like this, does it mean more pressure?
I don't necessarily see it that way. I always want to do my best. There is a great playing field here with some turf specialists. I'll take one match at a time. I want to push myself and win in every match.
You are also fighting for number 1 in the world rankings. After the grass season, the ranking situation will be very different because there are no points at Wimbledon. How important is the ranking for you?
For me, the race is the most important thing. I don't pay that much attention to the other rankings because they don't reflect current performance to me. My full attention is on the race. You can see how things have evolved there. I try to score as many points as possible on each surface, but of course: different surfaces, different goals.
When did you first play on grass and how has your game changed since then?
I never played on grass back home in Greece. The first time was as a junior at Roehampton five or six years ago. At first you have no idea what to expect. You try to hit normally, but everything is different. The take-off, the swing, the footwork. You have to adjust your tennis. I loved the rubber from the start. I think it suits my game perfectly. I like to get to the net and end the rally with a volley. I played a lot of serve and volley when I was a junior, but we're not in the 80s anymore. I now have a more balanced game.
You've been here since Saturday - what did you do in Stuttgart?
I bought underwear (laughs). I went to eat ice cream because I just love ice cream! I also bought a fire extinguisher for my home. I saw this thing in a store and thought I really needed something like this. For emergencies...
Rafael Nadal has revealed that he won the French Open despite not feeling anything in his foot due to the many pain injections. Can you imagine something like this?
I also have a little story where I thought I couldn't play a game because I was in too much pain. But not to the extent that is the case with Rafa, of course. I had a similar situation once at the ATP Finals. I think it was my second group game and I had extreme pain in my leg. Then I got an injection and played one of the best games of my life.
TV NOTE: ServusTV Germany broadcasts all center court matches of the BOSS OPEN live and exclusively on free TV and on ServusTV On.