Stefanos Tsitsipas set for Laver Cup return following injury break, says he is expecting the crowd to "not be in favor" of Team Europe
Stefanos Tsitsipas has been hard at practice ahead of the start of this weekend's Laver Cup. The Greek could be seen hitting some crisp forehands and backhands in one of the videos posted by the tournament on Wednesday.
Judging from Tsitsipas' movement, it appears that the foot injury - which has troubled him for a while and even kept him from representing Greece in last week's Davis Cup - has fully healed. The 23-year-old hasn't played a match since his third-round exit from the 2021 US Open.
Behind the baseline.
@steftsitsipas | #LaverCup https://t.co/hm4s4cKDx8
This will be Stefanos Tsitsipas' second appearance at the Laver Cup, following his debut in 2019. However, he'll be hoping for a better outing this time; at the 2019 event, he won the only singles match he played but lost both of his doubles encounters.
In a promotional shoot for the event on Thursday, the young Greek star was seen all decked up and dapper in a suit along with his teammates and competitors.
The high-profile event is back after a year's hiatus, as it was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year the Laver Cup is being held in Boston, from 24 to 26 September.
Team Europe will be looking to win their fourth consecutive title against Team World, but their two biggest stars - Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - won't be participating this year due to injuries. Both legends have played a huge part in making the Laver Cup successful.
Stefanos Tsitsipas excited to showcase his best tennis in Boston
During a recent interview, Stefanos Tsitsipas acknowledged that it'd be difficult to get the crowd on their side as the American crowd would root for Team World to finally win the Laver Cup for the first time. But the 23-year-old is more focused on playing his best tennis as he thinks promoting the sport is what matters the most.
"For us we're going to expose our best tennis this week, that's our ultimate goal, the plan," Tsitsipas said. "And of course the crowd is not in our favor, it is something we're expecting, we're going to fight against it and prove ourselves with our game and at the end of the day our tennis counts the most."
"I think it's great that we get the opportunity to play in stadiums like this."
With #TeamEurope away from home, @steftsitsipas is up for the challenge in Boston.
#LaverCup https://t.co/Y3pcjp0V5U
Tsitsipas also said he's excited about playing in a new city and exposing more people to tennis. The Greek wants to grow the sport by attracting more fans to the game and showcasing his best.
"I think it is great we get an opportunity to play in stadiums like this, bring tennis to this kind of stadium and crowds that haven't experienced tennis of such high level I think," Tsitsipas said. "Boston is not really known to host big events and have ATP tournaments before."