Stefanos Tsitsipas on his controversies in 2022: I salute the critics

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Tsitsipas had a campaign of ups and downs in 2022 as he started the year with a run to the Australian Open semi-finals and then won the Monte-Carlo Masters and Mallorca championships.

He also finished second in five events, including the Italian Open and the Cincinnati Masters, but he made early exits from Wimbledon and the US Open.

There were some controversies as he had several clashes with opponents who felt he was receiving in-game coaching from his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas.

He was also involved in a heated third-round clash with Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon, with both players losing their temper during the match.

Tsitsipas at one point smashed a ball into the stands – leading to calls for his disqualification from his opponent – as he described the Aussie as a bully after the game.

Naturally, he’s come looking for a stick during the season, but the 24-year-old takes it in his stride.

“Reviews are important – I love receiving them,” the world number 4 told RedBull.com.

“When I was younger I was very sensitive to it, but as I get older I think it’s essential. It’s the only way to achieve perfection. I mean, perfection doesn’t really exist. , but we can get close.

“It also comes with your attitude towards what you do. If you do it with love and care, if you wake up every morning and do the best things to be successful in what you do, with people who are chasing that same dream, anything is possible. With your mind, you can achieve anything you want in life. That’s where it all starts. It all starts with an idea.”

The name of the game is constantly improving and Tsitsipas pointed to two games against Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open where he mentally took different approaches.

In 2019 he was on the receiving end of a 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 thrashing in the season-opening Grand Slam, but two years later came back from the brink producing a 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 7-5 victory against the Spaniard.

“There were two times where I found myself in the same situation with the same opponent, but [it was] a different Stefanos every time,” he said.

“The first time I faced Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open in the semi-finals, I was really looking forward to it. I remember thinking, ‘Okay, I’m playing against one of the best. I ‘really need to prove myself with some big shots and go for it’.

“Two years later, I faced him again in the same tournament, this time in the quarterfinals. After losing two sets, I realized what I was doing wrong.

“I remember coming to an agreement with myself, saying, ‘Okay, you’re going to be patient. You will wait. You’re going to spend every minute on the pitch enjoying the game and just making it a fun game.” It turned out to be one of the best comebacks of my career so far.”

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