ROLAND GARROS

June 4, 2023

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Press Conference

S. TSITSIPAS/S. Ofner

7-5, 6-3, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Well done, Stef. You obviously set up a great quarterfinal match against Carlos. Can you say a few words about that one.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: The clash we've been all waiting for. (Laughter.)

THE MODERATOR: A few more.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I think I said everything I had to say. I think everyone was expecting it, weren't they? And it's here. It's game on.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You seemed very focused today. Just wondering how you feel about your performance today and in general just these last few rounds.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Today's performance was good, actually. I'm not really sure how the first game was, because I didn't feel that great coming from my end. But I picked up fast.

I kept the focus locked in. You know, I felt like I read his game at some point. I felt like I was getting into the match stronger and stronger. More games and more opportunities I got to kind of hit balls and stay in rallies and read rallies, I got a sense of how I can win more points against him. It helped a lot.

I was serving not that well in the beginning, but I picked it up fast and quick. Started just serving precisely and just effortlessly felt like other times.

I think that just added to my game after, my whole game became better just because of my serve.

Q. You are a big personality, and you are very creative, as well. So how do you think you can express your personality the best, on the court or off the court?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I think both ways. Both ways. I think it would be fair to say that. I get an opportunity to be someone else when I'm outside of the court.

Of course there are certain limitation when it comes to being a tennis player. It's a box with lines and nets in between that you can get as creative as you want. The opportunities and the way you want to play the game are kind of limitless. You can't set boundaries to yourself, I don't feel like that's fair.

That magic little box is my playground and I get to sometimes experiment and try new things in practice and apply it on the court when I play.

My personality is a big part of that. I think through my personality you can see what my biggest strengths are as a person. Even by the style of play, the way you play I think shows a lot of what your personality is like.

Outside of it, I would consider myself an artist, and I think it's fair to say that I feel like, myself, I do feel like an artist when I play on the court. That's how I would like to be characterized.

Q. I just want to know or ask you what do you think you need to do to beat Carlos on I think it's Tuesday.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yes, I need to play good tennis. You know, Carlos is someone that keeps the intensity high at all times. He's someone that is not going to give you gaps where his attention is not there. He's very hyper. He's very energetic, and you can see that on the court. He adds a lot of that into the rallies, into his just rituals when he is out there playing the game.

Yeah, he has a lot of that when he plays. I think it has helped him a lot. Of course he has that smile that he said obviously helps him a lot. Right now he's one of the biggest obstacles and challenges for any player to compete against.

It pushes us all to be better. Rivalries like this, they are kind of, they are the toughest thing you can get in our sport. Getting to play him as much as possible will eventually give you more chances perhaps to beat him, if that makes sense. You know, I'm looking for those chances myself.

Q. If you end up playing him at night, what does playing at night here do to your game? How does it affect you? Do you like it?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: That's a good question, actually. I haven't thought about it.

I can't answer whether that would be more beneficial for me or him. I quite frankly don't know. I don't think I have played him at night. Have I?

No, US Open was not a night session. It was more like an afternoon session.

Q. I was thinking more of the clay --

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: And the bounces and everything.

Q. -- and the bounces and your game, sort of what it does to you specifically.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I like when it's bouncy. I like when the ball has acceleration and more of a pop when we play.

But at night, you know, the ball obviously doesn't bounce as much as it does during the day.

I honestly don't know. I'm ready to play both. I don't have the preference. If night session happens, I will still need to find ways to bring my A game against him and do the best I can.

Q. Can you explain a little bit your sleep routine during tournaments and if you do some naps or other things like this?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I don't really take naps, but today I think I took my first nap before the match in a very, very, very long time. I don't remember myself taking naps before matches, which kind of... Yeah, I did before the match, and I don't know if it helped me or not, but I felt good out there, except that first game, the way I started. The rest was kind of solid from my end, the way I felt it.

I think it's a great way to reboost your system before a big match. It's just that I feel like if you sleep for one or two hours, that could be a problem. I don't want to be sluggish and lousy when I enter the court. That's something that I try and avoid.