AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2022

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Press Conference

S. TSITSIPAS/M. Ymer

6-2, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Can you talk to us about the match? You had a very good start and then a little bit difficulties in the second and third sets. How did you manage to calm down and finish them?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I knew this match would be a match that will have kind of a similar game flow throughout the entire match, so I was kind of prepared for it.

I feel like the same rallies and the same patterns were in play over and over and over again, and there wasn't much of, let's say, mixing.

I was able to maintain that level. I was able to get back into the match in the second set when I went down for a little, and fought back. It was a matter of patience and my determination was there when I had to put something more into my game.

At the end it was all about the power and the intention to come in that gave me the match, and the consistency of doing so, as well. Because he was giving me balls that I was trying to attack and come in.

There was a little moment and a little phase that I had in that match where I was missing more than usual, but with a little bit of a mind reset, it came back to how I wanted it to be.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. In your mind right now, excluding Novak Djokovic, who are the best players in the world on hard court and what makes them the best?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: On hard court? I would put Daniil Medvedev in there, Alexander Zverev, Rafael Nadal. He has won a lot of titles on hard court. Casper Ruud start to becoming better on hard court than he was before. And Hubert Hurkacz, I think.

Q. You didn't include yourself. Can you describe what it is about those players that puts them at the top on hard court and what, for you, would elevate you to that status, as well?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I didn't know I could consider myself too (smiling). When I get asked questions like this, I always try to think about others and not put myself in whatever that is. It's a question based on others, not me.

But for sure, myself in there, 100%.

Q. And what do you think is the biggest necessity for you to be successful on hard courts specifically?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I have a great net game, and some of the players, most of the players don't have the ability to come to the net the way I do and to cover the court and win a lot of points with volleys. They simply don't have it. So I think it's something that is in my advantage, and I have been working my entire lifetime to perfect that.

I think being on a good serve day and feeling good from the baseline that can be a huge additive to my game and give me big opportunities to do things that others simply wouldn't be able to, because they rely a lot on their baseline game. Obviously their baseline game is great and rock solid, but they don't have a plan B if they feel like there is something else that I can add to that. They don't have the same net skills, I think, and I believe that I do.

Perhaps other things they might have better than I, but in this department, I think I'm in favor.

Q. You're playing next Sebastian Baez from Argentina. I wanted to know if you know him? How it works for when it comes to play against someone maybe you haven't played before or you don't know about him?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I don't know Sebastian, I watched him play at the NextGen Finals, watched a little bit of his games, some of his games, and saw that he was in the NextGen squad.

I will of course spend time looking more at most of his games that he had last year. And, you know, it is tricky when you play against players that you have never seen that much before and players that haven't really been exposed on the tour as much as others.

It just needs to be done a certain way.