Tsitsipas clarifies GOAT comment he made about Djokovic
ATP
After the 2023 Australian Open final, Stefanos Tsitsipas made a big statement during his speech but soon clarified it during the post-match press conference.
Tsitsipas lost yet another Grand Slam final to Djokovic. In 2021, he lost in the French Open final despite leading 2-0, and this time, he lost in the Australian Open final, but in a more straightforward way. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(5).
When speaking about his final opponent after the match, the Tsitsipas about Djokovic's greatness as a tennis player. Tsitsipas was not afraid to call the Serbian 'the greatest ever to hold a tennis racquet.' When asked about it during the press conference, he explained his words and used different wording.
"I think we're blessed that we have three big champions like this. I don't want to give the whole title to him, because I believe there are other players that have contributed a lot, and they're the main reason I am here today as well."
"Novak is one of them, too. I've been watching him as a kid, as well. I really liked the way he did things on the court with his game."
Tsitsipas knows why Djokovic is called one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and he sees it as an inspiration. He has now lost in two major finals against the Serbian, and he saw this loss as a "wake-up call."
"He has earned it with so much dedication that he has put in, with so much professionalism in his everyday life. It's a wake-up call for me to sort of do the same. I can only learn from that. I can only use that for my benefit."
"I'm blessed that I get the opportunity to do that. In today's world with social media, all the information you can extract, the news is actually the best era to be playing tennis at."
