Stefanos Tsitsipas will be preparing for the toughest test of all as he plays Novak Djokovic in the Olympic quarter finals of the men’s singles.
Despite an early hiccup against the dynamic Belgian Zizou Bergs, Stefanos Tsitsipas has been enjoying his tennis in Paris.
His Olympic exploits have not always been so smooth with a third-round exit in Tokyo to France’s Ugo Humbert.
The Greek batted aside Dan Evans in his second-round match losing just two games, making light-work of his opponent today too, defeating Sebastian Baez 7-5, 6-1.
With mixed success so far in 2024, the French Open finalist three years ago, has looked renewed on the clay, with his third Monte-Carlo Masters title secured in April.
Stefanos Tsitsipas continues to make Greek tennis history
In Tokyo, Tsitsipas became the first Greek man to win a singles match at the Olympic Games since Augustos Zerlandis in 1924 with his first-round win over Philipp Kohlschreiber.
This year in Paris however he has gone one better, becoming the first Greek man to reach the Olympics quarter finals in singles since tennis returned to the Games in 1988.
Tsitsipas looks to have shaken off his first-round nerves and is playing far more liberated tennis, reeling off nine straight games to take the first and thrust him ahead in the second.
With Novak Djokovic joining Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals, Court Philippe-Chatrier will watch a repeat of the 2021 French Open final, which the Greek lost despite leading by two sets.
Despite Djokovic having won 11 of their 13 meetings, with the Greek winless since 2019, there is no more perfect moment to upset the Serb whose dreams of Olympic gold still hang in the balance.
Greek hopes rest with Stefanos Tsitsipas after Maria Sakkari falls
When Maria Sakkari led by a set against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, it looked like the Greek’s would have themselves two quarter-finalists.
Sakkari had endured an underwhelming year on the WTA Tour, but after shaking off the disappointment of a third round exit at Wimbledon, the Greek was unlucky to see her special Olympic run ended.
The remaining Greek may well have his work cut out against Djokovic, with a shoddy record in the last four years, with the last ten matches going the way of the Serb.
What Tsitsipas may have to do is keep himself in it for as long as possible, hoping that the nightmares of Tokyo come back to haunt Djokovic.
With the 24-time major winning missing Olympic gold, he has made clear his ambitions ahead of Paris that this is the one he wants.
Perhaps the plucky Greek can use that pressure to propel him through the contest, with the knowledge that, unlike the 2021 final, winning the first two sets here would be enough.
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