Tennis news - Onus on younger generation to beat 'big three' at Wimbledon - Stefanos Tsitsipas
ByReuters
Updated 17/06/2019 at 13:03 GMT
Younger players must take responsibility and break the hegemony at Wimbledon to ensure there is a new champion this year, Greek world number six Stefanos Tsitsipas has said.
Rafael Nadal of Spain shakes hands at the net after his straight set victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in their semifinal match during day seven of the International BNL d'Italia at Foro Italico on May 18, 2019 in Rome, Italy.
Image credit: Getty Images
Since 2003, one of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray have won the title at Wimbledon, with the Swiss leading the way with eight titles.
Former champion Boris Becker had slated the younger generation's inability to challenge the 'Big Three' of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic -- who have won every major over the last 2-1/2 years -- and Tsitsipas hoped to be the one to accomplish the feat at Wimbledon.
"I would love to see something different this year. Hopefully it will be me," Tsitsipas, 20, told reporters. "It would give it a little bit of variety, something different to these guys.
"We are responsible as the new generation to work hard to come up with something new and our best games to beat them. Some don't want to take the responsibility of going out and overcoming all those difficulties and beat those guys."
Tsitsipas has already beaten Federer and Nadal at the Australian Open and Madrid Open respectively this year but he said it was not up to just him or 22-year-old world number five Alexander Zverev to carry the torch for the younger players.
"There are others," Tsitsipas added. "Felix (Auger-Aliassime), Denis (Shapovalov), Taylor (Fritz), Alex (de Minaur), Frances (Tiafoe)... We want a big, big rivalry in the future."
Tsitsipas is the top seed at the Queen's Club Championships, a traditional warm-up grasscourt tournament before Wimbledon, and plays Briton Kyle Edmund in the first round on Tuesday.
Wimbledon begins on July 1.
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