MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 1, 2021

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're off to a fine start on clay this year. Is the clay season meeting or exceeding your expectations?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yeah, it's there. I wanted to have a good kick-start like this. So far it's looking good. I'm at the right track.

Also, due to this good results I've had recently, it has helped me to be at the top of the Race to Turin. It's important to have such an important head start. Of course, it adds a lot to confidence and feeling better on court than ever before.

Q. You've been playing a lot of tennis since Monte-Carlo, have had a lot of success. You're also a person that finds it important to get your head into other mindsets, be creative. Did you find time to refresh?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Creative? I haven't done anything creative recently. I worked on some presets of mine. People were asking for that look that I have, the digital thing, presets for videos and photos. I'm working on that now.

It's a product I will distribute and release soon. I feel like some of my fans will be excited to purchase some of these products. That's the only thing I've been working on recently and putting attention to.

Photography, videography, some of the stuff I've been interested in, haven't been occupying much of my time lately.

Q. Obviously you made the final in 2019 with Rafa. You were one point short in Barcelona. The memories from 2019, and also your expectations for this year's tournament here in Madrid?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Well, my expectations, I won't lie to you, is to come as close to my two year result, which was in the final. I'm really pumped for this week, for the next week as well. I feel like I'm getting close. I feel like I can create opportunities and maybe get to No. 4.

I won't lie, it's something that has been in my mind. I don't think there's something wrong with it mainly because I've been working hard, I've been putting a lot of work in. I feel like that's my opportunity to do something different.

Of course, I'm far from there yet. I have to get these matches going, produce better tennis. We'll have to fight again. It's a new week for me. It will a new week for me in Rome. All these tournaments are important. They carry a lot of points. These tournaments are kind of opportunities for me to pursue something better.

Right now I'm in the lead of the Race to Turin, which is very important for me. I want to conserve that and finish the year perhaps in the top three. That would be a good, fair goal for me for this year.

Q. Are there things about your tennis that you would like to improve or for you is just about maintaining the same quality and intensity you've had over the last few weeks?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yes, there are. For sure, there is. I would like to be more consistent on my serve, play with high percentage of first serve. I would like to see myself come more to the net and have a higher winning percentage on net points won. Stuff like this is something that I'm aiming for, setting my attention towards these small details that will help me become a more aggressive and more complete player.

Q. Can you share with us what you learned about yourself from playing in such a memorable final last Sunday against Rafa, what you'll be able to take forward with you into Madrid?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Probably that I will have to go for more at certain times during a match and not wait as much for him to give me something or wait for an opportunity from his side.

Sometimes I feel like I was too passive, thinking about it now. I could have risked a bit more. I could have probably done few more unpredictable things that could have led to something different. That is something that I learned.