Google News Stefanos Tsitsipas: 'I can surpass Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer'
by JOVICA ILIC | VIEW 27088
The previous season will stay in Stefanos Tsitsipas' memory for good, propelling him towards the top of the men's tennis. World no. 6 cracked the top-10 in March for the first time, scored victories over Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal and went on to claim the ATP Finals crown on his debut in London.
After a suitable rest, Stefanos finished runner-up at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship where he defeated Novak Djokovic once again before losing a memorable title match to Rafael Nadal that lasted for more than three hours.
After everything he has achieved in the last couple of years, Stefanos will lead his small tennis country at the ATP Cup, with Greece facing Australia, Canada and Germany in Group F in Brisbane, kicking off the action on Friday morning against Denis Shapovalov at Pat Rafter Arena.
With 54 victories and three ATP titles under his belt, Tsitsipas showed thrilling tennis on the court in 2019 and learned how to control his emotions and make the best possible decisions in the pivotal moments, working hard on his game ahead of 2020 when he wants to challenge the players from the very top.
Showing no fear when Nadal, Djokovic and Federer are on the other side of the court, Stefanos learns something new every time he plays them, with growing confidence that he can move in front of them in the season ahead of us.
Praising the main rivals, Stefanos called them superhumans and expressed a desire to chase and overcome them, feeling positive about his abilities to improve even more in 2020 and fight for the ATP throne. "Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are still there - playing on a high level," Tsitsipas said.
"For me, it's very challenging to go out there and compete against them. I feel like there's something extra to chase after when they are on the other side of the net, plus I get to learn a lot when I compete in those matches.
I compare them to me to see what works for them and what I should work on more to challenge them even harder; they're just superhumans in a way. I'm trying to reach their level and to do my best because I feel like I can surpass them, I can be better.
It's just a matter of time, patience, and dedication to what I do. I improved some elements of my game during the offseason to be as consistent as possible and embrace an even better season than I had in 2019."