Sometimes we all need to stop, take stock and rethink a few things. Stefanos Tsitsipas, who arrives at the Mallorca Championships as the second seed, is doing just that.
“I’m trying to enjoy tennis from a perspective that I hadn’t done previously,” the Greek said during the build-up to his opener on Wednesday at the Mallorcan ATP 250. “Expectations aren’t so high, to be honest. I’m enjoying my life, and creating amazing memories is the most important thing at the moment.”
After earning a 17-4 record during the clay season — including a title in Monte Carlo, a final in Rome and a semi-final run in Madrid — Tsitsipas’ first outings on grass have been a little less productive. Tsitsipas has won two of the four matches he has played.
“I’m not focussed on any result, which is great,” the No. 6 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings said. “I’ve played in a lot of tournaments recently and I did very well in most, but really I want to enjoy myself and feel that I deserve some fun.”
That fun outside of tennis is certainly something he has found this week in Mallorca. “What I’ve enjoyed is swimming in the morning on the beach,” he said. “I’m not a huge fan of swimming pools, but I spend my time swimming in the sea and on the beach close to the house we’re living in.”
Tsitsipas is using these days to recharge his batteries before returning to competition, while also practising on the Balearic Island’s courts. “It’s absolutely perfect having this while you play on Tour, because it’s not something that happens often,” Tsitsipas said. “Also, it reminds me of my days in the place where I grew up. I had that life before being a tennis player and it makes me feel at home.
“Having the opportunity to play in a tournament like this and having such a familiar feeling, being by the beach with my loved ones, enjoying life, can sometimes be difficult when you’re away from home.”
There was one thing the Greek was not expecting to see when he set foot on the courts at the Mallorca Country Club: “I was surprised about the colour of the courts. It’s a grass court with a much more intense green and it creates more contrast with the ball, I really like that!”
Tsitsipas plays his opening match in Mallorca on Wednesday against Ilya Ivashka.
