Tsitsipas Thinks He Still Has 'Plenty Of Time' Despite New Generation Of Players Arriving
ATP
Despite everybody around him screaming 'FOMO', Stefanos Tsitsipas is not worried about it, believing that there is plenty of time left to win a Grand Slam.
No tennis player wants to be excluded from the exclusive Grand Slam champions club. Stefanos Tsitsipas is no different in that regard, as the Greek player still finds himself outside of the club.
It's not for a lack of trying, though, as he came close twice. Well, once really close and the other time a bit less. He's a two-time Grand Slam finalist. The first time came back in 2021 when he faced Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros final.
The result would have you believe that he was pretty close here, and in some ways he was, but he wasn't ready, and by the time the last point was played, that was abundantly clear. Djokovic won the match despite losing the first two sets, 6-7(6) 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4.
The second time came at the 2023 Australian Open, and while he played a really strong event, Tsitsipas was no match for Djokovic in the final, who won 6-3 7-6(4) 7-6(5). Losing to Novak Djokovic is no crime, but with players like Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune, and Carlos Alcaraz, who is a two-time Grand Slam champion already, rising, many wonder whether Tsitsipas missed his train.
As a very introspective person, Tsitsipas also thought about it, as he revealed in an interview with The Guardian. It's normal, and he's not hiding that, with the ultimate conclusion being that there is plenty of time.
At 25 years old, Tsitsipas has many years left and will have plenty of chances if he keeps improving as a player. The belief is certainly there.
"Carlos has two [grand slams] so far, against Novak and [Casper] Ruud. I’m waiting for my chance. I’m 25 years old so I still have plenty of time. But I am not that kid that used to hunt for big wins with nothing to lose."
"Now there are younger kids on the block that want to show off their new cars, and I need to show I’m still here, like Novak, and that this is not over. I still think my old-looking car is still pretty cool. It’s vintage."
He's not wrong even though he was overtaken by some younger players. It's not a sprint, as Stan Wawrinka knows well.
