Stefanos Tsitsipas wants to make next season 'three times better' than 2021 and feels 'fantastic' after elbow surgery
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 13/12/2021 at 12:15 GMT
Stefanos Tsitsipas enjoyed a good season in 2021 as he won two titles, made the final of the French Open and hit No 3 in the world rankings. His year ended on a disappointing note as an elbow injury forced him out of the ATP Finals, but he says he is feeling "fantastic" and is determined to take the next step in 2022.
Highlights: Rublev beats former champion Tsitsipas at ATP Finals
Stefanos Tsitsipas is hopeful that next season will be “three times better” than 2021.
The 23-year-old enjoyed a strong season as he hit a career-high No. 3 in the world, won two titles and made his first Grand Slam final at the French Open.
But his year ended on a sour note as suffered an elbow injury that forced him to withdraw from the ATP Finals after his opening match against Andrey Rublev.
Tsitsipas says his elbow is now “fantastic” after surgery and he is determined to be competing for more silverware in 2022.
"I am sure I will be 100 per cent back,” he told ANT1.
“The goal is definitely to go even higher. I hope the preparation goes well and that the new year will be three times better than this season."
Tsitsipas came agonisingly close to winning his first major at the French Open as he let a two-set lead slip against Novak Djokovic in the final.
He reached No 3 in the world rankings a few weeks later but his form dipped in the second half of the year and he has seen rivals Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev finish their seasons by winning big titles.
"Overall I'm happy with where I stand and I think I'm going to have to take an extra step and try and aim for even higher next year," said Tsitsipas.
“That will require new fresh goals and also trying to improve when it comes to becoming more professional and working to find where the one percent lies, or the five percent where I can benefit from it, and I will of course have my team to help me get to that five percent that I'm looking for."
Tsitsipas struggled with injury over the last few weeks of the season, withdrawing from the Paris Masters during his opening match and then pulling out of the ATP Finals.
He says he had to make the decision to stop playing for his “safety and well-being”.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/11/18/3255797-66633208-2560-1440.jpg)
'I'm heartbroken' - Emotional Tsitsipas reacts to ATP Finals withdrawal
"In Paris the pain was unbearable so I had to quit from that match. I've never retired in a match - it was very painful for me to let the crowd down and not play that match.
"But, I had to, it was for my safety, my well-being, and I don't regret doing that. In the last couple of days I have been practising with a little bit of pain but recently I'm feeling much better than when I started, five six days ago.
"It's heading toward the right direction and I'm doing everything possible to recover from it."
Tsitsipas is set to start his 2022 season at the ATP Cup, which is a team event played in Sydney from January 1-9.
Tsitsipas will lead the Greece team as they face Georgia, Argentina and Poland in their group.
The 2022 Australian Open gets under way in Melbourne on January 17.
- - -
Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on-demand on discovery+
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement