Roland-Garros: Stefanos Tsitsipas, the number 1 outsider
Stefanos Tsitsipas, world number 5.
JEFF PACHOUD AFP
Text by: Farid Achache Follow
3 min
Stefanos Tsitsipas will he shake up the hierarchy for this new edition of Roland-Garros?
The recent winner of his first Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo came very close to beating Nadal in Barcelona and then Djokovic in Rome on the clay court tour.
The 22-year-old Greek, world number 5, who has been the most consistent player since the start of the season, is a favorite.
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In Tsitsipas' side of the table, Daniil Medvedev (world number 2) and Dominic Thiem (world number 4) are the two main seeds.
But the Russian, allergic to ocher, has not won a single match in four participations at Roland Garros so far.
And the Austrian, double finalist on the Parisian clay (2018 and 2019), is looking for his best form, especially mental.
The Greek player, born in Athens to a mother who is herself a great practitioner of the little yellow ball, therefore has the opportunity to shake up the hierarchy.
2018, the year of revelation
It was in Paris that Tsitsipas obtained his best result with a semi-final against Novak Djokovic in 2020. In 2019, he lost in the round of 16 against Stan Wawrinka. He was beaten in the 2nd round in 2018 by Dominic Thiem. A year 2018 which will have been the year of revelation for him. At the Barcelona tournament, he made his way to the final by offering himself a prestigious victory at the time against Dominic Thiem (7th player in the world), but had to lose against Rafael Nadal. Paris remains for the moment the only Major where Tsitsipas has managed to climb two years in a row in the second week.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the first Greek to enter the ranking of the 100 best players in the world in 2017, arrives at Porte d'Auteuil with arguments. He took part in three Masters 1000 (Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome), an ATP 500 (Barcelona) and a 250 to finish (Lyon). The results are positive with two titles, including his Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo and Lyon last week. Not to mention the final in Barcelona with a match point against Nadal, just like in the quarterfinals in Madrid against Djokovic.
Here he is now competing with the two monsters of the circuit, something to gain confidence.
Above all, he likes clay, it is even the surface he prefers.
“
I'm going to go as soon as possible
, start training and be in my best shape for the Parisian Grand Slam.
A tournament that I love and love.
I hope that something positive will happen there
”, commented Tsitsipas after his victory in Lyon where he won the seventh title of his career.
Theoretically, Stefanos Tsitsipas should face Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals.
But in the meantime, he will start his tournament on Sunday May 30 against Frenchman Jérémy Chardy.
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