Stefanos Tsitsipas is not worth fifth place in the ATP rankings. Not even being the youngest in the top-10 or the highest ranked Greek tennis player in history. Tsitsipas wants to get closer to the greats, to the highest elite, and he believes he can achieve it. And the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell is the next stage in his career: “This week and next are very important. I see opportunities to score points in the tournament and keep improving.” And it is that his objective is none other than to reach December among the best in the world: “I think I can be in the Top-3 at the end of the year,” he said before his debut in Barcelona.
Tsitsipas, seeded number two in the tournament, likes Barcelona and he likes Godó. A site, he says, “that I feel like I know.” And he has played the tournament before, of which he has great memories: “This is where my journey in the ATP circuit began. I was 18 years old and I played the final. I think it was the first time I faced Rafa, I lost, but I learned a lot. Rafa's record here is inspiring. I hope to have half as many titles as him one day, “said the Greek. And it is that Nadal, like Djokovic and Federer, are the tennis players he grew up with: “I've always wanted to be close to winning titles. I saw them at the Grand Slam and wanted to be like them.”
Jaume Munar, who got rid of Thiago Montero in the first round, will be his opponent tomorrow in the Greek's debut in Barcelona. And it will not be easy, as probably no match, as Tsitsipas shares the opinion that this is a tournament with a high level: “We have an impressive team. The matches will be interesting and there are difficult opponents. I like this tournament, I have always liked it” , ended.