Happy off the court, Tsitsipas determined to finish the year happy on it too

The Greek admits he let his discipline slip at times this year but says he’s on the right track

Imago/Panoramic

October 18, 2023

It’s been an up and down year for Stefanos Tsitsipas; on the court, he began it by reaching his second Grand Slam final at the Australian Open, the Greek has reached just one final since and fell earlier than expected at two of the other three slam events.

Off the court, he couldn’t be happier, having developed a relationship with Paula Badosa, the Spanish player who has been ranked as high as No 2. Tsitsipas says he’s “going through the best time of his life”.

“I relied a little too much on what I had learned”

But now his personal life is settled, Tsitsipas says he wants to end the year strongly, building towards the ATP Finals in Turin.

“These last three, four months, I haven’t managed to gain many points, I admit,” Tsitsipas told reporters at media day in Antwerp, where he will begin his quest for just a second title of the year on Thursday, having won Los Cabos over the summer.

“I relied a little too much on what I had learned,” he said. “I thought I could also succeed by putting discipline aside a little, and focusing a little more on my talent. But that’s not how it works. Deep down, I feel like I want to turn things around with a good end to the season. I’m very hungry as I start this last indoor tour. I have never trained so much in my entire career.”

“I’m going through the best time of my life”

When they first got together, Tsitsipas and Badosa were not shy about putting themselves in the public eye. Their postings on social media drew plenty of attention, and some criticism. Tsitsipas says they are now less active on social media as a result. “A lot of people have fun destroying everything and I don’t like that at all,” he said.

But it seems that meeting Badosa has put him in a good place overall, making him more relaxed and putting things in perspective.

“My meeting with Paula gave me another vision of life in general,” he said. “Before, it was always tennis, tennis, tennis, that was all that mattered, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And during that part of my young career, I didn’t spend enough time with my family.

“Maybe for some these connections aren’t so important, but for me they are crucial. These are elements of my life that also require time. Not really energy, because they’re just part of me. So to have Paula by my side now is great. I’m going through the best time of my life. I have the right people around me, I have no doubts with that.

“Everything is clear in my mind and I think it brings freshness to my tennis and to the way I want to succeed in the rest of my career, with these people by my side, and that is very important to me.”

“I’m still on the right track. I haven’t given up”

Ranked seventh, Tsitsipas still needs a push to qualify for Turin. Having lost early at Wimbledon and the US Open, there have been questions as to whether he really has what it takes to get to the very top. Tsitsipas says he needs to manage himself better on the big occasions.

“Win a Grand Slam? I was close to succeeding in this challenge, I had my chances,” he said. “Perhaps what I lacked was energy. I use way too much on a court. If you look at other champions like Djokovic, Federer and even Nadal, they know better how to manage all the effort that a Grand Slam requires.

“The only time in my career when I was smart enough to handle all of this well was at the 2019 Masters and I won it. It takes a long time to master this management. But I’m still on the right track. I haven’t given up yet.

“You know, it takes years to mature as a man, or as a dominant athlete. And I give myself time for that. I really want to make my dream come true one day. I dream that Paula and I can make it together and be No 1. I have nothing to prove to anyone.”