Tsitsipas Explains His New 'Gladiator' Mindset That Led Him To Recent Success
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Stefanos Tsitsipas explained how his approach to his matches evolved recently after his second win at this year’s Indian Wells Open.
Tsitsipas is currently on a seven-match winning streak. That’s something that seemed impossible only a few weeks ago when he was massively struggling with his game. The Greek player even lost to an injured Hamad Medjedovic in Doha.
The 26-year-old’s struggles were obvious, and the fact that he ended last season outside of the Top 10 for the first time since 2018 only reflected how much he struggled on the court. Previously, Tsitsipas always finished the year inside of the Top 6.
But something changed at the Dubai Championships, apart from his racket. The two-time Grand Slam finalist started winning one match after another, and he ended the week in Dubai with a title.
He was able to carry that form also to Indian Wells where he beat both Thiago Seyboth Wild and Matteo Berrettini without losing a set. Especially his win over Berrettini was impressive, as he bested the Italian 6-3, 6-3, and his opponent felt like he played the "perfect match."
After the match, Tsitsipas spoke about his performance, saying that while he appreciated Berrettini’s compliments, he doesn’t feel like there’s such a thing as a "perfect match."
"I played a good match. There is no such thing as perfect match. I have only probably played twice in my life a perfect match, if that's a definition of something that nothing goes wrong. I don't know. Perfect match doesn't really exist. He probably meant, I guess, that I played well. I obviously thank him for saying that."
Tsitsipas then also spoke about his mindset and how it changed in recent weeks. He explained that he approaches his matches as a "gladiator," trying to see each match as its own story.
"I’m approaching these matches with determination and willingness to just leave it all out there on the court. I've seen improvements when it comes to my mindset. I just don't want to take anything for granted."
"I fight for every single individual match as a different chapter, different story, regardless of what I have done before. I just feel like I want to get out there on the court and be a gladiator, and that's how I approach every single match I get to play."
Tsitsipas is certainly happy to be back to winning again, and his game will be tested already in the next round again. The Greek player will take on Holger Rune, who will be a proper challenge for him.
