Stefanos Tsitsipas generally plays really well in Australia, and while he's yet to win a major, he's certain that it will come.
The Greek came very close to that at last year's Australian Open as he went to the final but couldn't overcome Novak Djokovic, who lifted his 10th Australian Open. It wasn't the first Grand Slam final Tsitsipas lost to Djokovic, but it was a significant match for him.
They were scenes he couldn't easily forget, standing there with the runner-up trophy while his opponent, as legendary as he is, was lifting his tenth. Not first, not second, not fifth, but tenth.
That certainly put things into perspective for Tsitsipas, and it's a loss he still thinks about. He doesn't think about it because he can't process it, no, that happened a long time ago.
He thinks about it to learn and prepare for the next time he's in that position. He was a bit overwhelmed by the moment, and avoiding that will be crucial.
How do I beat him? By being better than the previous time …He is a tough competitor, and I think a lot of players agree with me that he’s one of the toughest to beat on the tour. There were times this year that he was able to survive some crazy matches and came back from moments that he shouldn’t have come back. So he does have a mentality that differs from the rest.
Tsitsipas spoke about the 2023 Australian Open final ahead of the 2024 United Cup, where he's set to compete, representing his country, alongside Maria Sakkari.
I happen to be a tiger in my Chinese horoscope – the year I was born – and I like to approach my life with that mentality.
In his career on the ATP Tour, Tsitsipas understands that with experience comes maturity. Every failure prepares him for the next opportunity and, eventually, the hope that he'll be the one dishing out lessons on the tennis court.
[I learnt that] I shouldn’t let my nerves dictate the way I am playing, and I shouldn’t get too emotional before a big day like this. I think I got overwhelmed by emotions. It was the first time that I was playing for the world No.1 spot, on that day, so the occasion mattered three times more than usual.
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