ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2026

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Press Conference

S. TSITSIPAS/A. Muller

6-4, 3-0 [Ret.]

THE MODERATOR: Couple English questions.

Q. I want to know about the heat, the weather conditions. Does it affect your routine? Is there something special for the recuperation, the rest?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: For the heat?

Well, I don't know how it responds to other people, but I tolerate it pretty well. I don't remember having any issues with it in the past when I played matches under the heat.

I have always found it quite good for my game. The ball has more of an effect when you play in the heat, and I think it helps my game get a little bit more pop in my shots.

I don't mind it when it's on clay. I think it's an extra challenge, and I'm mentally ready every single time to face it. I don't know how others respond to it, but I just want to make the most out of it in terms of grinding it out, because it's almost, how I describe it, who can withstand it better.

I mean, tennis of course comes first, but it almost feels like it comes second when there is so much heat on the court.

Q. Again, about the heat, some players said the ball goes faster because of the heat. Did you feel it, as well? How much of a change does it make to your game?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I think it makes a lot of sense. Yes, it does has an effect on my game, as I said. I'm a player that likes to play with topspin on clay. I think it's quite obvious. I try and use my topspin as effective as I can.

And the heat gives me a little bit of an extra edge to my game. It allows me to have a heavier ball, a more lively ball, and I feel like my strengths are amplified in those sort of conditions.

Q. You're back on Chatrier today after spending some time on some smaller courts. Does that open up possibilities for your game and having more real estate to play with? Was that an issue for you when you have had periods of playing on smaller courts?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I love playing on courts like Chatrier. I have had great memories playing on Chatrier. I have won a lot of times on that court. I think it's quite normal when you're not that high in the rankings to be put on a smaller court that you're not used to playing.

I had this last year where I played, I don't remember, Court 8 or Court 7 or something like that. I didn't even know where that was.

But, you know, it comes with ranking. I have to win, and I have to do well in tournaments in order to be playing at the best arenas in the world. If I'm not delivering to those results, then I feel like my ranking drops, and then I kind of have to start from scratch again, build my way up.

Q. Just in terms of the court being big, the court itself being bigger and having more real estate to play with, does that work for your game? Do you use that? Does it bring more things into play?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I use it, yes. It gives you more space, especially on the return of serve. You feel almost like the court is bigger, even though it isn't.

It just makes you feel like there is more places to play at on the court when there is such massive real estate of clay. You kind of feel like -- well, it doesn't come so much, I feel like, down to the serve.

Of course what I have noticed playing is when I play on smaller courts, you tend to sit closer to the baseline, and then it's more serve performance-based, because you feel everything squished and smaller. So it does have a different optical illusion when you're playing.

Q. Welcome back to the win.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Thank you.

Q. You may not know, but when you beat Sinner at the Australian Open 2022, he thought his game was very limited, because you had much more variety than he had. And he thought he had to change coach, and he change everything. Did you expect him to do all the progresses that he made in terms of variety, dropshots, volleys, serve, and so on? And is that also, in a way, not a lesson but an advice that he can give to other players, including yourself, to always look for progresses?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: If you were to tell me that he was going to be that good as he is now, it was hard to imagine in that particular moment that he was going to suddenly, like, pop up the way he did, pretty much winning everything (smiling).

He played great tennis. Even back then he played great tennis. I just feel like his game wasn't as structured as it is now. It feels like now it's much more structured, and he's using definitely much more variation in his game.

His forehand, from what I remember in the past, used to be a part of his game that wasn't "the" best, and now it has become sort of solid from all sides. There aren't many weaknesses on his game. I think that's what makes it difficult for most of us to play against him. Like, his serve improved massively. When I played him, I don't remember him serving that great. Now he finds his spots. Not necessarily serves huge with a lot of kilometers per hour, but he's able to find his spots, especially on pressure moments, but moments that count. He's always going for a high-percentage first serve, and that gives him a big edge with his game.

Q. And about you.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: About me, yes, it's inspiring what Jannik is doing, because it definitely shows you that there is potential for everyone to up their game and do something more than they think they can.

You always think, when you're at your best, that you're kind of getting close to your best version of tennis. But, you know, having relived that plenty of times in the past, I have only come to realize that the version that I thought of me back then actually didn't know what I can actually achieve today. I have had matches today that my level was not even close to what I have played in the past.

So you can never put a limit to it. You always increase the limit. It's almost like the world record with 100-meter sprint. You always thought that no one would be able to run under 10 seconds in a 100-meter race, but people keep breaking the record all the time. Usain Bolt was definitely someone that had very -- it hasn't been broken in a long time.

But I do believe there is a certain threshold there of someone coming in one day and breaking it. I do believe in the human biology is possible to push through that, as well.

Q. Can you tell me with the heat the way it is today, how hot it is, how did the clay play? And in your words, what are the differences between the way it's playing in this heat compared to what you're used to?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: High bounces, spin is very effective. That's what I'm seeing. Chatrier is always a court that has an extra bit of an effect when you play on it. I have always played on Chatrier and I have always felt that on that court. I don't know whether that's the clay amount that they add to it or whatever court science there is behind it. But I have always felt like Chatrier has more of a kick to it, and I always understand why a certain player has dominated on that court for so many years. It almost like complements his game.

So I think the heat always makes a court bouncier, it makes the clay dry up quicker, which a dry court has the tendency to have more of an effect ultimately.

When we had rain here for a few days in a row in the past in the Roland Garros, I have always felt like the ball stays lower, it doesn't penetrate as much throughout the court, and you have the tendency to play longer rallies. So, yeah, you can definitely see it visually and experience it as a player.