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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 9, 2018

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Wimbledon, London, England

J. ISNER/S. Tsitsipas

6-4, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about the match? What was your plan and how did you get through it?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Well, my plan from the beginning of the match was to stay aggressive and come to the net, have a high percentage on my serve.

Unfortunately, I was just a bit lost in the first set when I got broken. Was just not there for a few points, and that's how I got broken at that moment.

I would say it was a very mental game today, and the one who would be mentally stronger and would stand things, could handle things a little bit better and on the right way was the one who's gonna win the match. And he did. He was just better than me today, which happens sometimes.

It was a pretty weird match, to be honest. A lot of aces, short rallies. There was no play from the baseline at all. That was a bit annoying, because I was used to playing long rallies, you know, play the point, construct the point.

But today it seemed like there was no plan when I was playing. It was just happening, like, randomly. He was serving very well and didn't give me a lot of options to break.

Actually everything happened on the tiebreak where the most crucial moments were in the tiebreak, and just didn't use them the right way, the way I was supposed to use them. I was a mini break up, and I should take advantage of this, but I was just not patient enough. That's how I lost the match today.

Q. Wimbledon 2018 is finished for you. I know it's not too long ago that you lost. Can you tell us, first time in the second week, you know, have you got a little sum-up for us?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Well, yeah. Yeah, it was a wonderful week. Actually I never thought that this year -- it was actually my goals. I had goals in the beginning of the year to do fourth round of a Grand Slam. I actually believed it, but I never thought it's gonna come that fast and that quick, and it just came with all the hard work I did this year.

The goal that I set of making a fourth round of a Grand Slam was just -- even I was confused. Like, how did I do it? But it did happen, actually (smiling).

Actually, when I won my last match against Fabbiano, I realized that I'm in the second week of a Grand Slam, and I was actually -- I was dreaming of it this year, and it was on my goal list to be in last 16 of a Grand Slam. In a way, I believed I could, but on the other hand I was thinking, well, it's really tough to get there and I gotta work hard for it, and then I deserve it. It just happen at Wimbledon, one of my favorite Grand Slams.

I got a bit emotional that -- I actually did get a bit emotional that I was in the last 16 of a Grand Slam that I have been dreaming of winning one day, and hopefully I can win it one day. It would be an amazing feeling. But the vibes and the emotions and the conditions this year were just absolutely perfect, and despite the loss today, I can only take positives out of this Grand Slam, this very important Grand Slam that happens to be Wimbledon, one of my favorite Grand Slams. And I'm leaving from London with very nice memories.

Q. What kind of energy do you draw from having your entire family, coaches, so many people watching you compete?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: It's important to have them on the stands supporting me and knowing that they want the best for me. It's a good backup to have my family, my friends.

It helps. It helps, you know. I feel like I have an army behind me that supports me on the worst moments and on the best moments (smiling). I feel actually stronger when they're next to me and I'm doing well.

Q. Obviously you're disappointed but also pleased you got to the last 16. Where do you go from here? What's your next tournament?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I was supposed to play Bastad, I think which is next week, next Monday, but I'll withdraw. I'll have some holidays and some time off tennis, go back home, relax, you know, get away from tennis. Maybe watch the final. Hopefully it's Federer (smiling). Yeah, take a week off.

Q. Are you taking part in the US Open?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I'm actually playing at Hamburg in two weeks, the ATP 500 event. And then I'll be moving to the United States for the American swing.

Q. Please don't answer if this question makes no sense to you, but you had mentioned Federer, hoping he was in the final. I'm wondering, as you were growing up as a younger player and perhaps even today, did you ever make a point of studying, watching, analyzing the way he plays on grass?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Of course I did.

Q. So I'm wondering, if so, are there any things as a player you can learn from or pull from that that maybe the average fan can't appreciate?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Of watching Federer?

Q. Yeah, yeah.
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Federer is -- when you watch Federer, it's like the best thing on television. It is. But Federer has such a good game for grass. He's just an example.

I actually, before every match, the night before, I used to -- I mean, I was watching YouTube videos of him playing on grass, matches that he played against Pete Sampras when he was actually younger and pretty close to my age. So I was inspired. I wanted to play exactly like him and do the same results.

I remember this match with -- I watched it two, three times this week -- with Pete Sampras. I think it was the fourth round of Wimbledon. He won that match, and it's an inspiration. He was so young and he was just -- he was coming out of nowhere, and then the whole world knew straightaway who Roger Federer is, what he can do on the court.

Q. Was it the movement, the grace, the backhand?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I would say the aura he has on the court, the net game, the quickness. This very calm aura that he brings on the court, that even if everything goes wrong, it still seems like everything is perfect and it's okay.

His serve, of course. He used to -- actually, to me, it seemed to me he used to serve and volley more that time than now. Now he's adding more variety, he's staying back, he makes the opponent confused. I never played Roger, but from what I see on television, he's actually mixing up the game and he knows when -- he's actually so much experienced, has so much experience and knows when he should come to the net, when he should stay back. This experience has -- you can see it on television.

Q. You watched that match two or three times this week?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yeah, I did.

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