Stefanos Tsitsipas: "There is more suffering in tennis than pleasure"
If Stefanos Tsitsipas could offer one word of advice to aspiring tennis players, it would be to remind them that there is more "suffering" in the sport than pleasure. The Greek recently stated that while a player's exploits on the court could lead to a lot of joy, defeats are far more painful.
Speaking in a recent interview with The New York Times, the World No. 5 advised players to be mature when dealing with losses, while also reminding them to stay humble during succesful times.
"I’d definitely tell them there’s more suffering in this sport than pleasure. Pleasure is there on the court but it’s also going to be painful, dealing with losses and defeats," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.
"It’s important to be mature with your defeats, learn from them and move on. And always stay humble with your wins. Always have your friends and family near you, to be able to live through that journey together and to have a good time," he added.
The two-time Grand Slam finalist also acknowledged that tennis is an "extremely difficult" sport to break into as there are a lot of financial obstacles. Tsitsipas revealed that he himself struggled initially, especially when dealing with being away from his family for days on end.
"It’s an extremely difficult industry to break into and be a successful athlete in. What I’ve learned is that I always have to keep pushing myself to the limit. There were a lot of financial obstacles — tennis is an individual sport, and it requires you to pay for everything on your own," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.
"If you’re not from a background where you can afford it, it’s not an easy thing. I’ve struggled with being away from my family more than half the year and putting all my attention and focus on tennis. But that’s also because it’s a dream of mine, I chose it, I pursued it, I took the risks," he added.
"Whatever you give, you get back" - Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas went on to add that it is important to be perseverant when it comes to tennis -- an attitude he claims he has carried over to his life as well. In the 24-year-old's opinion, life, like tennis, rewards people only for the efforts they put in; nothing more and nothing less.
"There are going to be times where you’re pushed down and have to get up again. Having that kind of attitude helps you gain a clearer picture of things. The way I approach life, the way I see those values that I want to be linked to in life," Stefanos Tsitsipas said. "These are values that are extremely important to have. Otherwise, life won’t redeem you. Whatever you give, you get back."
Currently in Madrid, the World No. 5 will open his campaign at the Masters 1000 tournament against either Kyle Edmund or Dominic Thiem in the second round.