Stefanos Tsitsipas ready for Grand Slam tennis title charge
Stefanos Tsitsipas ready for Grand Slam tennis title charge
2022 could be a special year for Greek tennis icon Stefanos Tsitsipas, who will undoubtedly be setting his sights on winning the first Grand Slam title of his exciting career. After peaking at number 3 in the ATP Rankings in August 2021, he finished the year in 4th spot behind Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and Novak Djokovic.
Tsitsipas hit the headlines with an epic win against Rafael Nadal, beating the Spaniard over five sets at the 2021 Australian Open, before bowing out against Daniil Medvedev in the Semi-Finals. The chance to avenge that defeat soon arrived at the 2021 French Open, when Tsitsipas beat the Russian in the quarter-finals, then defeated German star Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals, before ultimately losing against Djokovic in his first ever Grand Slam final.
The remainder of the year was difficult for Tsitsipas, eliminated in the first round at Wimbledon and the third round of the US Open, as he began to feel the physical toll of his efforts. Forced to retire from competition at the Rolex Paris Masters, then withdraw from the ATP Finals, he underwent surgery to resolve a troublesome elbow injury. Despite the setbacks he registered a 55-19 match record in 2021, including tournament wins on the ATP Tour.
After making what appears complete recovery, Tsitsipas is looking forward to getting back in action, aiming to continue his ascent of the ATP Rankings. Heading into the 2022 Australian Open in Melbourne, the 26-year-old is regarded as one of the leading challengers, having impressively impressed at the tournament last year. Nevertheless, there are some lingering doubts about whether he will be back in top shape, so soon after the injury treatment.
Scheduled to take place between 17-30 January, before the tournament draw had been held Tsitsipas was rated as the fourth seed, matching the end of 2021 ATP Rankings, with Zverev, Medvedev and Djokovic forming the top three seeds. However, early betting odds for the Greek player were significantly longer than those of the top three, suggesting that bookies believe he may struggle.
Of course, Tsitsipas is more than capable of proving the oddsmakers wrong, while the potential for big-name player withdrawals could significantly improve his chances. This is why searching through the best betting sites is advised ahead of the Australian Open, given that odds will inevitably fluctuate before the tournament begins. Likewise, checking site reviews can identify which bookies offer the most varied range of tennis betting markets, along with updated lists of which are currently offering the best odds and bonus promotions.
Regarding the concerns over his fitness and form heading into the Australian Open, there is a positive outlook and renewed sense of optimism from Tsitsipas heading into 2022 tennis season. He believes the November surgery was necessary, it went well and most importantly, it resolved a serious problem that actually affected his overall performance levels, which now leads him to believe the best of his career is yet to come.
“It’s great to be on the court without pain and to see that I can do any movement,” he explained to Sky Sports ahead of the Australian Open. “I’m using a muscle that I didn’t even know existed, because my injury was preventing me from using it in movement. It was difficult for me mentally to play for almost two years with this problem,” he concluded with notable optimism.
Let’s just pause to think about that for a moment. During his two best seasons to date in professional tennis, Tsitsipas played through the pain barrier and still managed to achieve great things. Now try to imagine the potential without being shackled by a troublesome injury, admitting that it reduced the movement and range of his game. The future now looks even brighter for Tsitsipas and his improvement will undoubtedly continue, backed by the support of a proud Greek nation, eager to follow his every step towards greater success.