In pictures: Stefanos Tsitsipas and his team enjoy some quality time in Western Australia ahead of the United Cup
The United Cup, which will begin on December 29 and last until January 8, 2023, will feature Stefanos Tsitsipas representing Greece alongside Maria Sakkari, Michail Pervolarakis, Despina Papamichail, Stefanos Sakellaridis, Valentini Grammatikopoulou, Petros Tsitsipas, and Sapfo Sakellaridi.
Before the tournament's commencement, the Greek team spent quality time together on Rottnest Island in Western Australia. They were seen enjoying some incredible local seafood and playing tennis on the beach.
Stefanos Tsitsipas + his fellow competitors Despina Papamichail and Valentini Grammatikopoulou from Team Greece exploring Rotto and enjoying some local seafood ahead of the United Cup #rottnest #perthnews twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/9xJI9xmutG
Stefanos Tsitsipas later took to Twitter to share some amazing pictures from Western Australia, praising its beauty, culture, history, and vibrant community.
"Western Australia's natural beauty, combined with it’s rich cultural history and vibrant community, make it a truly special and sophisticated place to visit and explore," Tsitsipas wrote.
Western Australia's natural beauty, combined with it’s rich cultural history and vibrant community, make it a truly special and sophisticated place to visit and explore. https://t.co/yzsBzgSpuN
"We have a very good mixture from both genders, this is the best opportunity for us to show our best tennis" - Stefanos Tsitsipas on his team's chances at the United Cup
Stefanos Tsitsipas spoke to The West Australian during his visit to Rottnest Island about Team Greece's chances at the United Cup. He stated that they have a strong team and this is their best opportunity to showcase their best tennis.
"For us as Team Greece, this is the best opportunity for us to show our best tennis. We have a very good mixture from both genders that we can score points and do well in this first edition of the United Cup. I’m very confident that we’ve done a very good job this pre-season to start the year as strong as we can," Tsitsipas said.
However, the Greek quickly added that, despite having a good team, it is important to avoid becoming overconfident.
"It’s important to stay positive and remain confident, but of course, over-confidence can be an issue, in which case we are extremely careful to stay humble and follow the right procedures. This is a marathon that we are heading towards and not a sprint," Tsitsipas said.
Stefanos Tsitsipas will begin his campaign against Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov. Reflecting on this, the World No. 4 stated that Dimitrov is a difficult opponent and he must be "well prepared" to face him.
"A tough opponent. He has had great years in the past and of course he is in very good condition physically and tennis-wise. I need to be well-prepared because conditions here are different," Tsitsipas said.
He also revealed some issues with the tournament ball being bouncier than usual.
"But I’ve had the chance to practice (here) a few times and the ball is bouncier and it’s more lively so we’re going to have to find a way to deal with that," Tsitsipas said.