Stefanos Tsitsipas says he approaching the Olympic Games as if it were like a Grand Slam after being knocked out of the Swiss Open on Saturday.
The world No.12 was ousted in two tight sets by Matteo Berrettini in the semi-finals despite being the top seed. At the tournament, he scored wins over Hamad Medjedovic and Fabio Fognini earlier in the week before losing to the former Wimbledon finalist. Tsitsipas hasn’t reached an ATP final since the Barcelona Open in April and last won a title at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Nevertheless, the 25-year-old is hoping to return to winning ways at the upcoming Olympic Games where the tennis event will be held at Roland Garros. He will be playing in both the singles and doubles events. A Greek player has yet to win a medal of any kind at the Olympics in the Open Era.
“I played two good matches here (at the Swiss Open), I would have liked more, but that’s the way tennis is and I have to accept it because my opponent played very well. Some things I can control, but others are out of my hands.” SDNA quoted Tsitsipas as saying.
“I will prepare for a week in Monaco. My plan is to train hard for five days before Paris and I will approach the Olympics like a Grand Slam.” He added.
Tsitsipas has achieved a win-loss record of 32-13 so far this season despite the challenges he has faced. A back injury sustained at the end of 2023 also hampered him at the start of this year and forced him to make adjustments to his serve.
“I had back pain, I had a bad injury in the ATP Finals. I wasn’t sure I would play in Australia, but I made it through sheer willpower and determination.” He said.
“The pain was still there, I was playing in pain and the only way to serve was to put my feet together. I put less pressure on my back this way and continued for a few weeks. It worked and my back started to heal. The pinpoint position was not my favourite, I lost momentum and stability on my serve sometimes, I’m not used to it. I tried both and realized that the current service is the best option.”
The Olympic tennis tournament will get underway next weekend.
