Stefanos Tsitsipas is very comfortable in Madrid and he's hoping for a deep run and a possible challenge for the trophy.
Being back at the Madrid Open makes Tsitsipas very happy. He's very comfortable in the country having made deep runs both in Barcelona and Madrid over the years. There is just something that reminds him of Greece which helps him adjust quickly to the country when he comes back.
Similarity in culture, similarity in a lot of things like food. Spain’s a very welcoming place and a very good destination for tennis. I’ve always felt good playing here. Greece hasn’t had the privilege of hosting any tennis tournaments yet. So Spain is the closest to Greece for me. That’s probably why I’ve played well here.
Tsitsipas had a deep run in Madrid a few times and he even made it to the final once and that's something he would like to repeat this year. Having had multiple matches on clay in the past few weeks allowed him to settle well on the surface which he proved last week by making the final in Barcelona.
It’s getting good. I’ve had a lot of matches now on clay. I consider myself a candidate for this tournament in terms of having good results. The run I had in Barcelona brought me joy because after the Australian Open I didn’t go deep in tournaments. Now I’ve had a first glimpse of what it is to be strong again. Things are looking pretty bright.
One player he will most likely have to beat in order to possibly win this event is Carlos Alcaraz. It's been a mammoth challenge for him because he's 0-4 against him so far yet that doesn't discourage him. It actually inspires him because in order to beat him you have to match his effort on the court and that takes a lot of work.
It’s a long road to get to that point. We have two weeks here. I have to practise to improve things, that’s the only way that I know to change something in the future. I don’t have any other solutions for beating a player who’s a big obstacle for me. Carlos is someone who works extremely hard, you can see his flexibility on the court, his speed is immense. He’s someone who has so much focus and a dedication to the sport that’s tough to find. In order to get there, I’d have to spend hours on the court practising, also hours in the gym working out and hours in my room analysing my past performances and trying to get better.
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