Stefanos Tsitsipas has continued to downplay the ongoing tensions between him and ATP rival Andrey Rublev.
In recent months, a war of words unfolded between Tsitsipas and Rublev, while Danill Medvedev also got involved in the feud at one stage to back up his Russian compatriot. The arguments reached a boiling point in November last year when Tsitsipas lost to Rublev at the ATP Finals and the Greek claimed he was the better player of the two.
However, the feud appears to be dying down and Tsitsipas praised Rublev for his win at the Monte Carlo Masters earlier in April. In an attempt to improve relationships further, Tsitsipas acknowledged that his previous comments were a mistake when he spoke to the ATP Tennis Podcast.
"Look, I think he is someone that deserves the win. I think he's someone that has sort of flown under the radar for what he can do. He has big weapons as a player. And I've made a mistake in the past and I said silly things after a loss that I had recently against him. My mind was completely in another planet. So I definitely believe he's a very strong opponent and he can play against anyone."
In addition, Tsitsipas went further with his praise for the Russian by highlighting how strong he is on many playing surfaces. Ultimately, Tsitsipas believes Rublev's recent improvement and consistency serves as an inspiration for other players to aspire to.
"And the good thing with Rublev is he can play on all surfaces, he's strong everywhere. He has improved a lot in his consistency. And That is good to see because, you know, He keeps getting better and he keeps pushing us as well to get better too."
0 Comments