"There's no other 'gen' after that, it's just adulthood" - Stefanos Tsitsipas not afraid of being forgotten in the wake of the 'Next Gen'
World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas recently discussed the 'Next Gen' of tennis and how he is not afraid of being overshadowed by them.
Tsitsipas advanced to his fourth Australian Open semifinal on Tuesday, January 24. The Greek outclassed the unseeded Czech player Jiri Lehecka at Rod Laver Arena, winning 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-4.
The 24-year-old will next face the 18th seed Karen Khachanov in the semifinals on Friday, January 27, as he seeks his first Grand Slam title after losing in the semifinals at Melbourne Park in 2021 and 2022.
Following his win, Stefanos Tsitsipas stated in a press conference that he is not afraid of being overshadowed by the 'Next Gen' players since he has gone through the phase they are in and is looking forward to moving on.
"I passed through this myself. At some point it fades out a little bit 'cause you are an adult. You are not any more a kid. These guys are still sort of in the transition mode. They're still there," Tsitsipas said.
"I had my fair share of that. Now I'm looking forward to kind of move forward from there. There's no other 'gen' after that, it's just adulthood," he added.
Tsitsipas went on to say that even if his opponent is from the "Next Gen," he doesn't label them and approaches them with the same mindset he approaches other players.
"I approach every single opponent of mine with the same mindset. I never put labels on them. Each and every match that I get to play against them is a new chapter in my book," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.
"I kind of forgot that Jiri [Lehecka] today was a next gen player. Never thought about it," he added.
"I'm feeling great with my tennis, I don't think I felt so good in a long time" - Stefanos Tsitsipas
When asked if he believes he can win his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas responded in the affirmative. He said he is feeling "great" about his gameplay at the moment, which he hasn't felt in a long time.
"I'm feeling great with my tennis. I don't think I felt so good in a long time. I will definitely say yes to it," Tsitsipas said.
Tsitsipas added that when he's on the court, he doesn't think about losing or winning, he just plays his heart out.
"I've said it, I'm a different player, playing different. My mentality is different. When I'm out on the court, I don't really think of negatives, to be honest. I just go out there and play the game," Tsitsipas said.