Tsitsipas: 'I Am Feeling Better On Court Than Ever Before'
Some players try not to pay too much attention to their FedEx ATP Ranking or standing in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin. But not Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is well aware of his success in 2021 leading into the Mutua Madrid Open.
“I wanted to have a good kickstart like this. So far it’s looking good. I’m [on] the right track,” Tsitsipas said. “It has helped me to be at the top of the [FedEx ATP] Race To Turin. It’s important to have such an important head start. Of course, it adds a lot to confidence and [I am] feeling better on court than ever before.”
Tsitsipas, the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion, leads the Race by 350 points over second-placed Andrey Rublev. The 22-year-old knows that if he hopes to maintain that position, he will have to continue playing impressive tennis.
“I have to get these matches going, produce better tennis. We’ll have to fight again. It’s a new week for me. It will [be] a new week for me in Rome. All these tournaments are important. They carry a lot of points,” Tsitsipas said. “These tournaments are kind of opportunities for me to pursue something better. Right now I’m in the lead of the Race to Turin, which is very important for me. I want to conserve that and finish the year perhaps in the top three. That would be a good, fair goal for me for this year.”
The last time Madrid was played, in 2019, Tsitsipas defeated Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 final on clay. Now fresh off ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo and a run to the Barcelona championship, Tsitsipas will try to maintain his momentum.
“My expectations, I won’t lie to you, [are] to come as close to my result [from two years ago], which was [reaching] the final. I’m really pumped for this week, for the next week as well. I feel like I’m getting close. I feel like I can create opportunities and maybe get to [World] No. 4,” Tsitsipas said. “It’s something that has been in my mind. I don’t think there’s something wrong with [that], mainly because I’ve been working hard, I’ve been putting a lot of work in. I feel like that’s my opportunity to do something different.”
Tsitsipas was on the brink of upsetting Nadal in the Barcelona final, earning a championship point before the Spaniard rallied for his 12th title at the ATP 500 event. The six-time ATP Tour titlist was disappointed, but he took lessons from the experience.
“Probably that I will have to go for more at certain times during a match and not wait as much for him to give me something or wait for an opportunity from his side,” Tsitsipas said. “Sometimes I feel like I was too passive, thinking about it now. I could have risked a bit more. I could have probably done a few more unpredictable things that could have led to something different.”
Tsitsipas will hope to implement those lessons this week in Madrid, where he is the fourth seed and will begin his run against Nikoloz Basilashvili or Benoit Paire. The 22-year-old admits there is still plenty to improve.
“For sure, there is. I would like to be more consistent on my serve, play with a high percentage of first serves. I would like to see myself come more to the net and have a higher winning percentage on net points won,” Tsitsipas said. “Stuff like this is something that I’m aiming for, setting my attention towards these small details that will help me become a more aggressive and more complete player.”