Stefanos Tsitsipas aiming to become 'more selfish' to take next step and win Grand Slam title in 2022
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Published 01/11/2021 at 13:59 GMT
"There are a few things that I can develop and get better at." It has already been a successful season for Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has moved up to No 3 in the world rankings, lifted two titles and won a tour-leading 55 matches. However, Tsitsipas is yet to win a Grand Slam title and thinks he needs to do more to take the next step up.
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Stefanos Tsitsipas thinks he needs to “become more of a selfish player” as he bids to finish the 2021 season on a high.
World No 3 Tsitsipas is enjoying a career-best year with a tour-leading 55 wins and two titles.
However, his form has dipped since reaching the French Open final in June. He was beaten in the first round at Wimbledon, third round at the US Open, suffered a surprise defeat to Nikoloz Basilashvili in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells, and lost to Frances Tiafoe in his second match in Vienna last week.
He admits the five-set defeat to Novak Djokovic at the French Open did affect him a “little bit” at his next two majors, and he is hopeful that he can find another level.
"There are a few things that I can develop and get better at, become more professional, as well," he said ahead of this week's Paris Masters.
"Eager to go that extra level and put more attention to details and focus on a few things that might benefit me overall.
"Every single year I'm trying to add something new and keep my best qualities and maybe remove a few things from outside or inside the court that might be either distracting or not as beneficial as I might think. So this is something that I have in my mind for next season, and I really want to put that into consideration."
Tsitsipas faces a tricky start in Paris as he will meet either Lloyd Harris or Alex de Minaur in his first match.
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This will be his penultimate tournament of the season as he skips Stockholm next week and finishes at the ATP Finals in Turin.
“I have two more [tournaments] left and I'm trying to give my last breath on the court and become more of a selfish player on the court, and unveil my killer attitude on the court,” he said.
You have to be this way. The best players in the world, they are very selfish and they want everything for themselves, and I'm this way too .
"When I'm on the court I'm not mixing it up with my outside life, and I'm able to separate those two. I think once you become soft and start kind of getting into your emotions and feeling many things at once… it's not really good for you.
“So blocking all of that and letting it pass through and just being able to stay in the moment, these are some qualities that top players have developed and are able to compete at such a level and not really care what's happening on the other side of the court.”
The Paris Masters will be the first time that the top three in the world – Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Tsitsipas – have played together since the US Open.
Asked about the form of Medvedev, who beat Djokovic in the US Open final in September to win his first major, Tsitsipas said: “Daniil has really perfected the game that he’s playing that not many players can play.
"I mean, to call him the ‘Octopus’ was for a reason. He's just able to get balls that not many people are able to… He has done very well this year.
“We all saw what he did at the US Open. He's one of the most difficult opponents on the tour, and I guess I'm able to learn from him, as well.”
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