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What’s next for Stefanos Tsitsipas?

By Keshav Gopalan

TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 12: Rafael Nadal (R) of Spain with the champions trophy following his win in the final match against Stefanos Tsitsipas (L) of Greece on Day 7 of the Rogers Cup at Aviva Centre on August 12, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 12: Rafael Nadal (R) of Spain with the champions trophy following his win in the final match against Stefanos Tsitsipas (L) of Greece on Day 7 of the Rogers Cup at Aviva Centre on August 12, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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Stefanos Tsitsipas is having the season of his life. From playing Challengers tournaments and Qualification for tournaments as recently as 3 months ago, Tsitsipas has now broken into the top 20. It’s only upwards for the Greek Stalwart as his meteoric rise continues

He became the youngest player in ATP history to beat 4 top 10 players in a row in one tournament, scalping Dominic Thiem, Wimbledon Champion Novak Djokovic, current US Open and Wimbledon Finalist Kevin Anderson and #3 Alexander Zverev.

Tactical improvements, Warrior mentality

Aside from the statistical #gainz, Stefanos has made several improvements to his game, especially from a tactical standpoint. This was most evident in his match against Sascha, where he played conservatively and smartly rather than aggressively, which is how he usually plays. He disrupted Zverev’s rhythm by feeding him “junk” balls (See: McEnroe vs Brad Gilbert highlights for better understanding). The calm and consistent play that Zverev needed to counterpunch this tactic was severely missing.

Aside from that, Tsitsipas’ mental fortitude is impressive seeing that he’s only 20. It’s difficult to find anyone else who’s his age but still plays so confidently. Emulating the calmness and stoicism of Federer and Borg, Stefanos is shaping up into a monster on the court. He’s a warrior who fights for every ball that comes his way.

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What can he do more?

After his match against Rafa in the final, Tstitsipas spoke about how physical Rafa’s game was and how he hoped to emulate that aspect of his game, so fitness and building muscle seems to be first on the list. Aside from that one thing, perhaps later in the future hiring a secondary coach might help develop his game further.

Next. Arrogance unbridled: Alexander Zverev?. dark

Conclusion

Things are looking bright for the Greek upstart. With the way he’s been climbing in 2018, it really wouldn’t be very surprising to see him in the ATP World Tour Finals in London.

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