Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas
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Stefanos Tsitsipas looks superb on the court, perhaps arrogant for some fans. However, the long-haired tennis player, who comes from a Greek-Russian marriage, has been through years that have not given him a very good starting position for a career as a tennis star.
“When I was little, I still doubted myself. I started playing in small tournaments and I wasn’t convinced at all that I could make a living playing tennis. I just didn’t think I was good enough. My country was also on the verge of bankruptcy, most “My father’s siblings lost their jobs and were unable to support their families,” Tsitsipas describes the difficult beginnings.
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The final turning point in his life came in 2018. “For the first time, I was among the fifteen best players in the world and I was among the grand slams. Then I understood that I had a chance. At first I only traveled with my dad, now he can ride with me. also my mother and three siblings. I am the main source of money for my family, “adds the reigning champion of the Champions Tournament.
Don’t look for friends in tennis
However, he did not predict how difficult and complicated the life of a professional tennis player is. “My beginnings? I felt very lonely. I didn’t know what was going on at home, it was one huge stress. When I was a boy, I was an introvert. I thought I would find friends on the circuit, but it’s just the opposite. Tennis players “They only care about themselves, they don’t want to be friends with you. They are afraid that you will discover their weaknesses, that they will open up too much and then you will beat them on the court,” says the Greek star.
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Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas
But the worst was yet to come. “I didn’t have the strength to continue, I wanted to let it go. Then my mental coach helped me, showed me a different view of the whole thing and I knew I couldn’t give up. That I’ve dedicated my whole life to tennis and I have to persevere. I was driven by the desire to prove that “Greece is a great country and can be successful in tennis. It’s still very difficult. Even if you have your team with you, you still have to rely on yourself in the end. And not everyone can do that,” says Tsitsipas.
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However, the tennis player, whose grandfather Sergei Salnikov won the Olympic gold in football in the colors of the Soviet Union in 1956, is far from just playing tennis. “I’m interested in a number of other disciplines. Sometimes I post on social networks that many people don’t understand. Some things are very philosophical, because I also come from a country whose history is full of famous philosophers. I don’t know if I was Pythagoras or Socrates in my past life. , but I wouldn’t mind at all if I was one of them before, “the tennis player concludes with a smile.
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