Stefanos Tsitsipas is not going to the US Open with any pressure of expectation
In an interview with Tennis Majors , Stefanos Tsitsipas emphasized that he would not travel to the US Open 2020 with too much expectation.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Aug 23, 2020, 06:49 pm
The US Open 2020 are different, no question about it. A stadium without fans, a missing defending champion and a strict bubble concept that enormously restricts the players away from their matches. However, all of this is necessary in order to be able to hold such a large event at the time of COVID-19 in order to keep the risk of infection as low as possible.
"Certainly it will be very calm when we play. The fans give the adrenaline, they give this intoxication and they create an atmosphere, and we will miss this atmosphere this year", also knows Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is number four among the both of the upcoming tournaments in the USA and will play his opening match at the Western & Southern Open this Sunday.
"No pressure of expectation"
In the meantime, the Greek has already found his own tactic to deal with this new situation: "But everything is in your head, you can reproduce it in your head, you can hear the silence, but at the same time you can see Stefano's head -Color chants ", said the world number six in an interview with tennis majors . He came to the tournaments in order to achieve a better result than at his last appearances in the Big Apple, even without fans.
So far, reaching the second round of the major in the USA has been the highest of emotions for Tsitsipas - and yet the Greek is considered a member of the extended circle of favorites this year for the second Grand Slam Cup, which is to be won this year . A circumstance that can be an inhibiting factor for a player of Tsitsipa's age, which is why the 22-year-old emphasizes that he does not arrive with too much expectation: "I don't really think about it. I play well, it's so much fun out here to be, no pressure of expectation, honest. "
US Open not deteriorated
The fact that the chance of a Grand Slam title for the young guard at this major is even more tangible than it was at the Australian Open at the beginning of the year is also due to the fact that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two of the three the great dominators of tennis in recent years will be missing. Nevertheless, the Greek sees the title at this tournament as being equivalent to the titles of recent years.
"A US Open is a US Open. It's not going to get worse. Of course there is a pandemic, but that doesn't stop players from coming here. If the players are too scared to come, well, it has an announcement which makes it clear that the environment and the conditions are safe for them to come and play, I see no problem in that, "said the sixth in the world rankings.
In addition to a mental development, which Tsitsipas claims to have tackled during the interruption of the tour, another step forward should also have been achieved in tennis. "I always want to get the best out of myself and get better, there are many different factors that will make me a more complete tennis player," said Tsitsipas.
Tsitsipas' psychological advantage
In addition to everyday training, the Greek also competed in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown and only had to admit defeat to Matteo Berrettini in the first of the two events. Gaming experience that the Greek sees as a small advantage for the upcoming events: "Of course it's not the same format as I'm used to, but I've played against a lot of good players, that gives me a small psychological advantage."
An advantage that Tsitsipas can already use this Sunday, with Kevin Anderson in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, a decent chunk is waiting . And a successful dress rehearsal before the US Open would probably be a far greater psychological advantage than a few exhibition matches.
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