Stefanos Tsitsipas has been discussing his admiration and ongoing rivalry with Novak Djokovic ahead of next week’s Australian Open.
The two are both set to star, with the Serbian unsurprisingly a hot favourite to retain his crown after actually defeating the Greek star in the 2023 final.
Speaking to The Guardian, Tsitsipas would reveal what he feels makes the 36-year-old so special and undeniable, whilst also throwing shade at long-term rival Nick Kygrios.
We take a closer look at his comments as the first Grand Slam of the season nears…
What Stefanos Tsitsipas had to say about Novak Djokovic
The two top-ten tennis stars have shared the court on many occasions, but as is often the case with most opponents Djokovic faces, he often comes out on top.
It is that unrelenting quality, and the ability to only improve with age, that has captured the attention of players and fans alike.
What he does is otherworldly, and Tsitsipas recognises that.
Speaking to The Guardian, he noted: ‘He keeps improving constantly and I see a better Novak Djokovic now than in 2020. Against Novak you need to be in your best possible shape. There are no excuses with him. You can’t fool around for a single point so your levels of concentration against him have to be the highest that you can reach.
‘It’s difficult at times to fight back and find something because he has added a lot of strategy and simplicity as well. He doesn’t over-complicate things.
‘His flexibility is mind-blowing, the way he can stretch and run, and also the precision of his shot-making. Not the tallest guy on the tour but he remains one of the toughest servers. Whenever we face Novak we know that this is a serious heist and most of the time it does not work out.’
Tsitsipas will want another deep Australian Open run
Although 2023 was hardly an outstanding year for the Greek tennis player, there were moments of brief success that threatened to upset the traditional winners.
He would win just a sole ATP title, but in reaching three finals he showcased that the talent remains even if his consistency has faltered. After all, he did start the year undefeated before his final lose to Novak.
And now, given the Melbourne-based tournament is comfortably been his most successful across his short career, this marks another opportunity to go deep.
Reaching three semi-finals, and last year’s final, his run in the latter was impressive before being thwarted by the unstoppable Djokovic.
Admittedly, once he bypassed an emerging Jannik Sinner in the fourth round, he was blessed with an easy ride to that all-important match, only then having to defeat Jiri Lehecka and Karen Khachanov.
A straight sets defeat perhaps flatters Djokovic given two were tie breaks, but it represented an early peak for Tsitsipas’ 2023 season, in which he scuppered his opportunity to reach a career-high number-one ranking and claim his first-ever Grand Slam.
He will want revenge, but these aforementioned words only emphasise just how mountainous he recognises the challenge to be.
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