LAVER CUP

September 23, 2022

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Press Conference

S. TSITSIPAS/D. Schwartzman

6-2, 6-1

Team Europe - 2

Team World - 0

THE MODERATOR: We have Stefanos Tsitsipas. Please keep it to one question. Questions.

Q. Your reaction to the protester on court? What did you think when you saw him, his arm in flames?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I mean, it came out of nowhere. I have no idea what it's all about. I never had an incident like this happen on court, so I hope he's all right.

Q. I mean, you took the step of speaking to the umpire, just making sure that the court surface was okay? Obviously you want it to be safe, don't you?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Correct. I wanted to proceed with that match without having any minor changes to the court, and I wanted to make sure it's playable, especially that area.

It also got in my way in my viewing kind of experience of the court, the way I saw the court later. There was a big mark over there, and I wanted it to be cleaned up in order for me to proceed the way I did before.

Q. How important is it for the rest of this team to kind of hold up your end on what is a big weekend for Roger and the other guys?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: We are off to a good start. The team, well, we are doing really well in terms of communication, in terms of understanding what our goals are this week.

We have the strong lineup of players, many of them that qualify, you know, as legends of our sport. It's extremely important that we have players like this in our team that can push us, a bit younger obviously in age, and give us a bit of their experience, a bit of their piece of the pie of their knowledge and the things that they have figured out in their career.

In terms of, well, Roger, he seems to be okay in my eyes. I haven't seen him move much on the court, but I still enjoy his tennis. I stayed the other day after my practice and watched one quarter of his practice, just admiring his natural ability to kiss the ball with the racquet. That's a beautiful thing to see (smiling).

I was just admiring that we are able to live in the generation where we have a player like this that elevates all of our senses when watching him play. It's truly a spectacular thing.

Q. You actually were the lone player who was out watching Casper in his match at one point. What was going through your mind as you were watching him?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I'm supporting every single member, regardless if it's probably one of my biggest rivals or the one that I'm going to face the most in my career.

This is a team competition. We are in this together. We are fighting for the same goal, for the same trophy. I was trying to pay attention to every single detail, starting from the toss, from his movement on the court, the way he's trying to tactically approach the match.

For me, this is a great experience to kind of learn a bit more, try and understand how he's gonna knock the opponent out. He was playing well. I didn't feel like leaving. I'm there to support. I'm there to give part of myself when other players are playing, because I'm going to play a few times, but, you know, the biggest amount of energy that I need to put is outside the court.

Q. Casper said after his match that there is a lot of inside jokes between the big four, I guess, and he's not privy to them yet.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: He hasn't what?

Q. He doesn't understand most of them, so he just keeps his head down, I guess. For you, you have been in this team for a few years now. How comfortable do you feel around them, just being yourself around players who you idolized growing up?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I can relate to him. I couldn't understand the British humor as well when I first came here and had a few friends. But I picked it up eventually (smiling). It's a whole lot different.

The atmosphere is great. I don't know how it is on the other side against our competition, but our team energy is great. We all crack up jokes all the time. Roger is goofy and giggling and stuff, which adds a whole lot of different flair in the team.

I'm happy we are enthusiastic. I'm happy we are in good spirits. It will definitely help build a better vibrancy in this team. Everyone has kind of a particular sense of humor. We have Andy, you know, he's known for his particular dry humor from time to time. I enjoy it a lot.

There is just so much variation going on around.

Q. Stefanos, you were just talking about Roger, giving us some insight. What's it going to be like for you tonight watching courtside watching his match?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I have said it that it's such a privilege to be here for the last dance. I have worked hard to be sitting right next to them. I have sacrificed a lot, and I'm super proud that I'm able to share this by their side with Bjorn Borg, having Mr. Rod Laver to be here to watch us perform and play.

This is the ultimate that you could ever ask, you know. We have so many great champions, literally the biggest gladiators that tennis has ever seen ever. Not even in this era. Ever.

For me to be here and be kind of a big part of it is something that will definitely remain unforgettable, a big piece of, let's say, a big highlight of my life and something that I will definitely be able to recall for many years to come.

Q. We were talking about the locker room aspects, on a lighter note. Roger's noisy. Rafa, as Casper was saying a little while ago, is such a messy person in the locker room. What about you? What about Casper? What are you all like in the locker room?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Casper, he's very organized, although he did put most of his stuff next to my locker the other day, and I had to move his stuff away (smiling).

But he's organized. He's organized. I think the younger generation, you know, we are a little bit more -- maybe no, it's not a fact, sorry. But, no, no. Casper is Nordic, so he's very organized, very tidy. I'll give him that.

I would put myself in there too. I have had a few players say that I'm extremely organized in how I just place my bottles, place my towels, place everything.

I don't like when stuff's everywhere. I'm not like my brother. So I like when things are under my control, and I'm able to or it helps me remember, of course, where things are, important things in my daily life in terms of organization, yeah.

I always need towels. I need to have a lot of towels in the locker, for sure.

Q. You mentioned how much of an honor it is to be with these greats, with the greatest gladiators, as you say. How surreal is it then for you having beaten all three of them?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Oh, oh, four, please.

Q. I apologize.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Oh, no, no, no. You won't get away with it (smiling).

Look, as much as I want to obviously tear them apart when I'm on the court against them, there is so much respect between us I think this week than there has ever been before. I admire them a lot for their hard work, ethic, for their talent, for their skill that they have provided, and some of them will keep providing and serving our sport.

I think they all have things that will remain probably one of the best in our sport. Djokovic, he's one of the greatest returners I think ever, close to Agassi, probably, Andre Agassi.

Andy Murray is such an incredible fighter and never gives up. You know, whining a lot as well which is unusual for someone in the top four.

Rafa is incredibly humble. Something might have broken in there, because, you know, 26 Roland Garros titles in a row is not humanly normal. I think there needs to be like a filter change, because this is incredible. I'm thinking about it very often. You know, takes a lot of not just talent but dedication and kind of not understanding of what you have done in order to continue doing that year after year.

And Roger is Roger, someone who has been doing things so effortlessly. He's an example -- all of them are examples to younger kids, but he is an example to everyone for how not to do things, because you will fail for sure if you try and play like Roger (smiling).