"I have asked myself the question of why did I drag my son into all this?" - Stefanos Tsitsipas' father Apostolos on how it feels to watch his son go through failures
Greek tennis sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas is currently ranked World No. 5 and has won two ATP tour singles titles in 2022 so far. Tsitsipas' father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, recently reflected on how he it feels to be a father and a coach at the same time, touching especially on how it feels to see his son face difficulties in his career.
In a conversation with Tennisology, as quoted by PuntoDebreak, Apostolos revealed that the hardest thing for him was to see his son perform badly. He also admitted to blaming himself for "dragging" his son into all this, adding that, despite all the hardships, one has to keep up with life because "life is a mountain of laughter" and that there are many ups and downs along the way.
"The hardest thing for me is when I see Stefanos badly. Emotions are emotions, and you have to deal with this if you want to win and set records in the world of tennis. There have been times that as a father, I have asked myself the question of... why did I drag my son into all this? But it's normal. Life is a mountain of laughter. There are ups and downs," Apostolos Tsitsipas said.
Stefanos Tsitsipas to face Holger Rune in the final of the Stockholm Open
World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, meanwhile, will lock horns with 2022 French Open quarterfinalist Holger Rune in the summit clash of the Stockholm Open today. Tsitsipas traveled to the Swedish capital after losing the Astana Open title to 21-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in straight sets. The Greek star beat two seeded players en route to his Astana Open runner-up finish.
However, the top seed of the tournament has been in exceptional form throughout the tournament in Stockholm as he gears up to win his third title of the season. Having received a walkover in the first round, the 24-year-old beat Maxime Cressy, 7-6(5), 7-6(12), in the second round of the tournament. The Greek star hit seven aces in the match, holding on to his nerves to edge out the American in the nail-biting second set.
Up against home boy Mikael Ymer after that, Tsitsipas recorded a convincing 7-5, 6-3 win to book his spot in the semifinals of the event. In the penultimate match, Stefanos Tsitsipas faced Emil Ruusuvuori, whom he beat 6-2, 6-2, as he effortlessly earned a berth in the title-winning match.