Stefanos Tsitsipas on Novak Djokovic: ‘He wants revenge’

The greats, in whatever field they work in, are just different. There is something that just makes them different, whether it be raw physical ability or emotional or mental prowess. Novak Djokovic, of course, is one of the best, if not the best, tennis player who has ever played the spot. There are many things that make him special.

Tennis fans have known for quite some time that one of Novak Djokovic‘s strengths is the mental side. He simply doesn’t seem to get as rattled as often, and when he does he appears to use that as fuel for overcoming whatever obstacle he is facing. Sure, Djokovic has an extremely rigid diet and stretches at length about four times a day, but he simply doesn’t stop believing he can win and steal the other player’s soul.

In an interview with Greek magazine Kathimerini, Stefanos Tsitsipas more than echoed that. According to the world number 5, “(Djokovic is) never happy. It’s like he’s always trying to prove something to someone. I don’t know what and to whom. It’s like he wants revenge. His eye shines.”

Novak Djokovic plays with a hunger to win few can match

That must be a scary thought for a player going up against Djokovic. Not only does the player know that Djoko has won 24 Grand Slams and is probably the best player ever, but if they look closely into his eyes, they might see a hunger to win that no other player is capable of. And Tsitsipas knows what he speaks.

Not only is Tsitsipas a very good player who has won 10 ATP tour titles, but he’s played the Serb 13 times. The Greek hasn’t had much success, however. Djoko leads the head-to-head against Tsitsipas 11-2 and since the 2021 French Open, Tsitsipas has won only one set in six matches against Djokovic. Tsitsipas hasn’t defeated Djoko since 2019.

So the next time you play Novak Djokovic, look over the net into his eyes. Does he look like he wants revenge against you? If so, just pretend you have an injury and leave the court.