Tsitsipas targets first Grand Slam title

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS came mighty close to winning his first Grand Slam title at last year’s French Open and few would bet against the Greek stylist going one better this time.

The world No. 4 has been spoken of as a Grand Slam champion since he burst onto the scene in 2018 and his love of clay makes Roland Garros perhaps his best shot.

His last three titles have all been on the red dirt, including the title in Monte Carlo this year, and he made the final in Rome this month, losing out to Novak Djokovic, the man who edged him out in last year’s French Open final.

With 13-time champion Rafael Nadal nursing a chronic foot injury, claycourt specialist Dominic Thiem struggling with his comeback from injury and world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev only just back from a hernia operation, Tsitsipas will rightly be regarded as one of the favourites.

His biggest rivals, apart from Nadal, will be Djokovic, hunting a recordequalling 21st Grand Slam to match Nadal, and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who cruised to victory in Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Barcelona and Madrid in a meteoric 2022 rise for the 19-year-old.

“Right now, Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic,”Tsitsipas said of the favourites for Paris. “They both play great, great tennis. I would put them as favourites.”

Apart from last year’s maiden

Grand Slam final, the 23-year-old has also made three semifinals at the Australian Open.

While he will have many more opportunities, Tsitsipas also knows that he will need to up his game to stop a new generation led by Alcaraz from jumping the queue.

“Right now, I need to improve a few things in my game. I don’t know if I’m going to get there but I hope I do with my hard work by the time Roland Garros begins,” he said.

“I would love myself to get around with these players and be there with them. But I will really need to put a bit more attention to detail in the next couple of weeks.”