Stefanos Tsitsipas has a Greek father and a Russian mother, which is why he had a chance to represent Russia internationally, but he opted for Greece.
Tsitsipas is a proud Greek and never misses a chance to mention that. He promotes the country and tennis and hopes to make it a tennis powerhouse by inspiring others to play the sport as well.
He's proud of his Russian heritage as well; it's just that he doesn't mention it often because he was born and raised in Greece. He actually even had a chance to play under the Russian banner some years ago, but it never really materialized.
It was a possibility, as he remembers it being a topic when he was 16, but ultimately, choosing Greece felt right for him because that's how he feels, as he revealed in an interview with Sport Express.
"I had little information about this. I remember my parents said something on this topic when I was, I think, about 16. But I never understood how serious this proposal was. At that time I was absolutely focused on my game and didn’t think about anything else."
"Maybe some things passed me by, but there was never any substantive conversation on this topic within the family. I was born and raised in Greece, so I always felt Greek and was proud of it."
There isn't a shortage of good tennis players in Russia, as the country remains one of the biggest sources of top players in recent history. With Tstisipas, they would have had an even more brutal roster, and despite feeling proud also of his Russian heritage, he proudly represents Greece at the moment.
"But I was also proud of the Russian half of his family. This is a country with a great culture and history of global scale and importance. I have always respected my roots and never thought of them as something self-evident."
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