ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2023

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to Paris. When did you get here, and how is the preparation going for Roland Garros?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: We have another exciting edition of the Roland Garros this year, and I think every player is excited to be participating and giving himself a chance to do well in one of the most chic Grand Slams of the year.

I'm extremely honored to be playing again and being part of this whole Parisian experience. I think it's a tournament that has a very special place in my heart, starting my journey on clay courts and getting to be literally in the palace of clay courts and the best place that has to offer tennis in terms of tradition and history.

This is something that ignites me.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Stefanos, I saw an Instagram post from Mark Philippoussis saying your collaboration was going to come to a conclusion. I wondered how that happened, whether that was his decision, your decision, and what your plans are going forward with regard to your coaching?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Well, it was a mutual decision. We spent countless of hours on the phone talking a few weeks ago. It's never easy having two coaches on the court. I know they are there to help and give the best they can, and provide for me. But sometimes it can get quite kind of hectic having two coaches share opinions.

I'm at a phase of my career in life where I need one coach that can provide all the information, all the analysis, all of the things that I'm looking for to improve my game. Less is more, in my opinion.

I feel like there are a lot of people I could bring in my team that could help for sure by sharing their thoughts and opinions about what can I do better and how can I do it better. But it is very important to stick with few people, in my opinion, and make that work, because when you have a lot of people around you, it can get very draining for your mental energy, too. So that is also one of the reasons.

I have had weeks where I just traveled with my coach because that's how I felt it should have been done and I don't regret any of it, because it's a personal feeling. I love Mark. He's an amazing person, and we still stay in touch with him very often.

I guess, you know, that's how it's going to be from now on, and I'm happy with this decision. Of course I'm sure he supports me, and he's there for me whenever I need anything. That's it.

Q. Obviously some of your best results have come on this surface, and I'm wondering when you arrive here, irrespective of how well you have done coming in, do you feel like you're one of the best clay courters on tour when you come here and you feel like you're one of the favorites?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: It's all about getting into the mindset of the Roland Garros final that I had here. It was a great two weeks of tennis for me, and I do remember how I did things and I do remember what worked better for me during these two weeks in Paris.

Of course it's important to recreate it and stay disciplined along the journey. There are matches that are going to be difficult. I had a few comebacks that year. I think started -- no, the year before I was down two sets to Love, managed to win that first-round opener, and sailed through quite smoothly after that, reaching the semis, if I'm not wrong. That was in 2021 maybe -- '20? '21? '20. And then followed the next year by final in '21.

Opponents are tough opponents. Some of them might not like clay as much as I do, and some have actually picked up on clay, one of them being Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev. Guys like Novak Djokovic always are a threat.

My capacity is big and grand, and I can feel it. I just need to get a few good first matches to keep believing that I actually can do something this year.

Q. Just going back to what you were saying about wanting to simplify things in your camp and eliminate sort of drains on your mental energy, just thinking about what happened, the situation with your players box in the final match you played in Rome against Daniil, is that sort of situation something that is draining on your mental energy, and is it something you feel like you can eliminate going forward?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I have no comment on that.

Q. In Switzerland women's football is very big, and Alisha Lehmann is one of the biggest players and apparently you gifted her your racquet; is that correct? When do we see double Tsitsipas against or with Alisha?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yes, absolutely. I'm a big supporter of Aston Villa, have always been a supporter of the team. Alisha is a gifted athlete, plays very good football. I guess we have kind of, I have always had that idea in my head to make friends from each different sports in different backgrounds. One of them is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is a basketball player, and we stay in touch quite frequently.

I wanted to do the same from the other gender, and it has been actually very inspiring. It's so beautiful to kind of relate on things and talk openly on stuff I'm not used to, talk with regular people.

It has evolved into a very nice friendship. I just wish her the best. I'm supporting her quite often. I think it's important to have that sort of attitude towards others, wishing them big success, wishing them health, and also be able to talk openly about just different stuff and talk about sports, talk about the hustle and the difficulties and the adversity that we have to overcome to thrive in what we do.

It's something that I have been very carefully kind of have started building. When I was younger, I had a phase where I'm, like, I'm just going to focus on my tennis, I won't focus on any friends right now, this is not an important part of my life to be making friends. Right now I'm at a phase of my life where having friends and having different type of communications and connections with people means so much to me because I'm learning so much through that, which ultimately just makes me a better person which I'm aiming for every single day.

Q. You mentioned Novak a moment ago. If he wins here, that would give him his 23rd Grand Slam title. I'm wondering, can you even wrap your head around the significance of that number and that idea of getting that many? Do you think it would or should change the way people perceive his career and think about him as a player, that he would be alone on top for the first time with the most Grand Slam titles won by a man?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I don't go to sleep at night thinking about that. Doesn't really cross my mind (smiling). Doesn't occupy too much of my thoughts.

It would be great for him. You know, if he's capable of doing it, massive respect. But what I'm out here trying to do is just focus on myself and perhaps be the guy that everyone will hate one day (smiling). In a good way. As they say, you become very unpopular when you start winning. Yeah.