AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2024

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Press Conference

S. TSITSIPAS/L. Van Assche

6-3, 6-0, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, Stefanos. Was this your best match of the tournament so far?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I had a great start to the match. After having played two matches already where I had to pick up after the first set, I'm happy with today's performance. Things worked out for me pretty nicely at moments that I needed it the most.

Now it's time for the next one.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Last year when you were here, you sort of were in this zone of sort of comfort and joy. I'm wondering if sort of today you started to feel something like that or you could remember what that felt like?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Well, it was a long way to play to the finals. I remember a few moments last year. I mean, I don't remember everything by detail, but I remember some big moments and some emotional ones, too.

These come with the sport, and they stay with you for a long time. I had a few moments last year, one with Sinner, that was kind of an epic match that I played with him last year. Another one, I remember my win against Lehecka, as well.

My semifinal win against Khachanov, that was a very important match for me, you know, to get to a point that I haven't reached before, having played three semifinals prior to that moment.

I approach these situations and these experiences with a lot of humility, and I'm always trying to get them better. What I mean by that is make them more emotional and make them, create a bigger glory mentally in my mind. You know, these moments are very glorious, especially when you're able to overcome them and win those matches to go to the next sort of level of yourself as a tennis player, and they count a lot for me.

Q. Can you talk about your next match against Taylor Fritz. You guys know each other well.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yes. We've played a lot. He's one of the big servers on the tour. He has powerful strokes, you know, as opposed to today's opponent, who runs really well and gets a lot of balls back and is very consistent. Taylor has big weapons that he can execute.

I need to defend well. I need to be there, involved, and ready to fight at any given moment.

I've played him before here at the Australian Open. We had a big match. You know, these moments are some of the ones that I do remember the best from this particular tournament. The intensity that I brought with me at that particular match was impressive, and I'm hoping to replicate it and give it my best shot against him.

Q. You're such a rhythm player. What is it that you start to feel when you start to get into that rhythm?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Comfort, confidence, rhythm, these are three things that I do feel when I get into my rituals. I don't know if they are visible or people can pay attention to those, but these help me stay in the moment. They help me forget anything else that might occupy my mind or anything that's inside of here and just focus in that very given moment, in the present.

Sometimes it's normal when you play to a little bit, like, disconnect, you see something out there, you tend to maybe think about it or not be fully, 100% involved in that yellow fuzzy ball that's flying around the court.

I'm trying to feel the match. I'm trying to feel the ball that's coming to me and become, in a way, one with it, and that helps me get to that point most of the time (smiling).