What does Stefanos Tsitsipas have to do to win his first Grand Slam?
While the rest of the world might be preparing to down tools over the upcoming festive season, the world's best tennis players will be working night and day in preparation for the start of the Grand Slam season. Indeed, from the 14th to the 28th of January, the Australian Open will be held in Melbourne.
For Greek tennis fans, this upcoming slam Down Under will be one that they watch with particular interest after Stefanos Tsitsipas fell agonizingly short during the final of the 2023 edition when Novak Djokovic prevailed in straight sets. The question being asked after a prosperous 2023 season is whether the Athens-born player can finally win his first Grand Slam in the near future.
The odds of success in 2024
A look at the latest tennis betting odds reveals that Tsitsipas’ best opportunity might come at Roland Garros in 2024 and not the Australian Open after the 25-year-old was priced at just +1000 to go all the way in Paris and +2000 in Melbourne.
Beneath the Parisian sun's radiant beam, El Greco on Chatrier, chasing the dream.
— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@steftsitsipas) May 29, 2023
📸: Coco Dubreuil / @FFTennis pic.twitter.com/WQRo8eQQHK
Tsitsipas, of course, also came within a whisker of winning the French Open in 2021 but again, lost to Djokovic in a five-set thriller despite going two sets up.
These defeats to Djokovic would have hurt but the overall trend is a positive one for Tsitsipas as he inches closer to winning his maiden Grand Slam. Should Tsitsipas be able to do it then he would also make history for Greece as it would be the country’s first Grand Slam title.
With Djokovic appearing to be the man standing between Tsitsipas and a Grand Slam win, logic would dictate that the Greek only needs to wait until the 36-year-old Serb retires before the path to greatness would be free of potential stumbling blocks.
Back in New-York
— Lacoste (@Lacoste) August 29, 2023
Back as World No.1 👑
IDEMO @djokernole!#TeamLacoste pic.twitter.com/HqOW5EUNz4
While there may be an element of truth to that, the uncomfortable reality is that this equation also applies to many other Grand Slam hopefuls in waiting who would benefit from Djokovic retiring. Namely, Daniil Medvedev and Nick Kyrgios, with whom Tsitsipas has built up fierce rivalries.
No love lost between the next generation
Essentially, Tsitsipas is unlikely to have it all his own way when the last of the Big Three departs the sport owing to the bad blood that exists between him and these players. To that end, their matches often spill over into ill-tempered affairs which seems to have more of a detrimental effect on Tsitsipas than it does on either Medvedev or Kyrgios.
Tellingly, as of November 2023, Medvedev holds a superior 9-4 head-to-head record against Tsitsipas while Kyrgios has built up a dominant 4-1 career record against the Greek.
In short, Tsitsipas won’t be free of stern challenges when Djokovic goes with a battle royale set to take place between the next generation of stars as they fight it out to be crowned the new king of men’s tennis.
However, despite the relentless examinations that lie in wait, the chances of Tsitsipas winning his and Greece’s first Grand Slam sometime over the next five years still remain strong. All Tsitsipas needs to do is continue to knock on the door and it is bound to open at some stage.
