Stefanos Tsitsipas not losing too much sleep over Novak Djokovic possibly winning 23rd Grand Slam at French Open
While Stefanos Tsitsipas enters the 2023 French Open hoping to win his maiden Grand Slam, Novak Djokovic will be gunning for his 23rd, which would make him the man with the most Major titles ever in tennis history.
As unbelievable as that number is, however, it is not something that makes the Greek lose sleep, as he is trying to focus only on himself and become so good that his fellow players on tour start hating him.
Speaking at his press conference ahead of his tournament opener in Paris against Jiri Vesely, Tsitsipas touched on the idea of Djokovic's quest for his 23rd Grand Slam, which has become slightly easier in the absence of 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal.
While Stefanos Tsitsipas admitted that the Serb would earn his "massive respect" if he goes all the way in Roland Garros this year, he made it clear that it was not a topic he consciously thought about.
"I don't go to sleep at night thinking about that. Doesn't really cross my mind (smiling). Doesn't occupy too much of my thoughts. It would be great for him. You know, if he's capable of doing it, massive respect," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.
"But what I'm out here trying to do is just focus on myself and perhaps be the guy that everyone will hate one day (smiling). In a good way. As they say, you become very unpopular when you start winning," he added.
The World No. 5 is a former finalist at the French Open, losing in the title round of the 2021 edition to Djokovic himself. Asked if he considered himself one of the favorites for the title this time around, Tsitsipas admitted that the run two years ago gave him a lot of confidence and that remembering those matches made him feel good about his own chances.
"It's all about getting into the mindset of the Roland Garros final that I had here. It was a great two weeks of tennis for me, and I do remember how I did things and I do remember what worked better for me during these two weeks in Paris," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.
"Of course it's important to recreate it and stay disciplined along the journey. There are matches that are going to be difficult. I had a few comebacks that year. I think started -- no, the year before I was down two sets to Love, managed to win that first-round opener, and sailed through quite smoothly after that, reaching the semis, if I'm not wrong. That was in 2021 maybe -- '20? '21? '20. And then followed the next year by final in '21," he added.
"My capacity is big and grand, and I can feel it" - Stefanos Tsitsipas
At the same time, Stefanos Tsitsipas acknowledged the presence of other players who could pose a strong threat to him, including the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, who have made massive strides on clay this year. The duo won their maiden Masters 1000 trophies on clay this year, with Rublev triumphing in Monte-Carlo and Medvedev doing so in Rome.
With the presence of veterans like Novak Djokovic to add to that, Tsitsipas did understand how big of an ask it is to win the French Open this time. Regardless, the fifth seed was confident in his own abilities, stating that he had a "big" and "grand" capacity that will help him come through when most needed.
"Opponents are tough opponents. Some of them might not like clay as much as I do, and some have actually picked up on clay, one of them being Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev. Guys like Novak Djokovic always are a threat," Stefanos Tsitsipas said. "My capacity is big and grand, and I can feel it. I just need to get a few good first matches to keep believing that I actually can do something this year."