Stefanos Tsitsipas’s Departure Owing to…..

Stefanos Tsitsipas, a tennis player who has advanced to numerous semifinals and finals, describes it as a “combination of body, mind, and spirit, all put together at the right location at the right moment.” He is searching for the enigmatic factor that separates an exceptional player from a grand slam winner. In major slam finals at the French and Australian Opens, where he has also advanced to three other semifinals, Tsitsipas has fallen to Novak Djokovic twice.

He took the first two sets in Paris in 2021 until Djokovic gave it all on the court. Had Tsitsipas defeated Djokovic in the Australian Open final last year, he would have taken the top spot in the world rankings. Rather, he fell short in two tie-breaks during a straight-sets loss, and the remainder of the year was a battle marred by injuries that caused him to drop to sixth in the rankings.

Tsitsipas declares, “I have talents and I know how to hit the ball,” with a winning understatement. Since my body can tolerate extended matches, we’ve already figured out the mystery. The next major chapter that I have to open in order to give myself seven straight victories [to win a slam] is my thinking. How can I defeat elite athletes consecutively? During a tournament, maybe three or four, not just one. Everything will come organically once I figure it out.

When I ask Tsitsipas if his belief is still the same as it was in 2023, he nods thoughtfully. “Yes, without a doubt,” he replies before beaming brightly. “I developed slowly.”

It’s a clever joke that bursts the bubble of anticipation that has been hanging over Tsitsipas for years, ever since he emerged as the top junior player in the world and went on to head the anticipated new generation of youthful superstars tipped to take the place of Djokovic, Federer, and Rafael Nadal. Jannik Sinner, 22, the world No. 4 player, and Carlos Alcaraz, 20, who is still only 20 and ranked second to Djokovic, have now taken up that task.