Stefanos Tsitsipas dedicates a beautiful love letter to tennis in which he reviews his most important memories in the sport of racquet. The Greek talks about his best moments on the circuit so far and about his beginnings, when he was just a child.
“Tennis will be my sport for the rest of my life”
“Dear tennis, I remember the first time I met you, it was in 2001. My parents, Apostolos and Julia introduced me to this beautiful sport that I can play today. What felt so special is that I felt part of a park, my park, where there were no rules or limits. I fell in love with you when I was 8 years old. I won my first tennis tournament in Normandy, France. I remember waking up in the middle of the night, waking up my father and saying: ‘Take me away from the rest of the sports: football, swimming, athletics… I just want to play tennis and that will be my sport for the rest of my life.
A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP
I played my first ATP match in Rotterdam in 2017. I was still a junior and my first opponent was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. In those days he was a free-spirited tennis player, playing without consequences. That match taught me to become more cautious when choosing shots, it transformed me into a more mature player, with more control. Since that moment, many things have happened. I have had very difficult victories, tough defeats, nights when I couldn’t sleep due to the pain and suffering of having lost matches that I shouldn’t have lost, a lot of love for tennis, but also a lot of hate at the same time.
One of my most unforgettable memories is my first Masters 1000 trophy in Monte Carlo, where I feel at home. I used to go to the tournament when I was a kid and winning there brought a lot of emotions, I felt very nostalgic. It’s a feeling that you can’t change for anything. You taught me to live life as it goes, to never doubt myself and to keep living, no matter what happens.
I have been very loyal and committed to the journey. Every day I feel lucky to have chosen you. In the future, I hope we will have a relationship of reciprocal love for each other. I hope that my children, one day, can be part of you and continue my legacy,” explains Stefanos Tsitsipas, according to the ATP’s official website.
2023-09-28 13:42:30
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