Perhaps this year, the No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas can win a Grand Slam.. Last week, at he won the ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo title. Novak Djokovic, as well as Roger Federer were not there, but there were a number of very good players. Tsitsipas decided to be so focus, and he was extremely consistent.
In the final, he beat the red hot Andrey Rublev. The 22-years-old Tsitsipas can be pissed off when he couldn’t fine the lines. Before last week, he would throw in a lot of errors. But he finally changed his strategy, and he locked in.
Famed coach Patrick Mouratoglou said on TV, “Tsitsipas used to panic often in these moments that are psychological but also [those that are] a matter of tactics. Because he was in a panic, he was playing very fast and very flat and you add stress to the already existing stress
“When you play flat, the ball returns flat and you can not speed up the game in moments of pressure and stress. This takes stress to the next level. He has understood that and now he plays with more height and depth in the moments when he is under pressure. … I think the answer to the question of whether he can win a Grand Slam is yes. It’s a matter of time.”
Before that, from January through mid-April, Tsitsipas liked the hardcourts, when he upset the 20-time Grand Slam champ Rafa Nadal at the Australian Open in the quarters. But he could not win it. Then he played in Acapulco and the Greek reached the final, but he lost against another powerful player Sasha Zverev.
Tsitsipas has not won a Grand Slam, yet, but he is going up to the mountain. He did say that he will win a Slam, very soon, so he is very confident.
Tsitsipas is working with Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten, who won three Grand Slams at Roland Garros. “I keep in touch with Kuerten. He has helped me a lot. I trust him, I feel we have things in common/”
Mouratoglou , who also works with Serena Williams, added about Tsitsipas, “His level of tennis is very high. When he plays at this high level, he can beat anyone. He has already beaten the best. Roger [Federer] at a Grand Slam, Novak (and) Rafa at a Masters 1000. You have good days and bad days during a Grand Slam that lasts 15 days. Whoever wins a Grand Slam is capable of winning a match even on a bad day.”
NOTES
Here are some changes in the summer:
July 19 – The WTA’s Washington, DC tournament moves to Gdynia, Poland, changing from the hardcourt to red clay.
August 23, there is a new WTA 250 hardcourt event in Cleveland, Ohio. That should be fascinating.