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Roland-Garros: Stefanos Tsitsipas, a little history of France

2021-06-14T22:00:38.989Z


The Greek, who will challenge Novak Djokovic this Sunday for his first Grand Slam final, has special ties with France


This Sunday afternoon, the blue and white Greek flag will fly in the sky over Paris for Stefanos Tsitsipas, 22, who is tackling Everest Djokovic for his first Grand Slam final.

With a little red on it ...

Because like the world n ° 2 Daniil Medvedev, the Athenian Apollo, son of a former Russian player, carries a part of France in his racket bag. Already because he had a mystical revelation in childhood, on his return from a trip to France to accompany his father Apostolos, a tennis teacher, to a summer camp. “On his return, he woke up one night and said to me:

daddy, I have to tell you something

, says the one who still coaches him today.

I want to become a tennis player, I like competition, I like challenges.

"

Then because this Monegasque resident, who has two brothers and a sister, has been evolving since 2015 under the watchful eye of Patrick Mouratoglou, himself of Greek origin, and among others director of the eponymous academy in the south of France.

At the time, the esthete Tsitsipas, keen on vlogs (or video blogs), posted videos of his matches on social networks.

One of them, shot during the Orange Bowl, the World Junior Championship, catches Mouratoglou's eye.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stefanos Tsitsipas (@ stefanostsitsipas98)

"I am very connected to Greece and I was looking for talented young Greeks to help them succeed," said the French technician.

When I met Stefanos, I told him that I wanted to give him the weapons to become a great player.

"The coach of Serena Williams comes into contact with the parents of the teenager and he arrives a few weeks later in Sophia Antipolis, the base of his future ascent to the heights.

He still owns his apartment on campus.

Foie gras, its cute sin

"Patrick is a bit of a tennis guru," explained the world No. 5 (who will be 4th or 3rd Monday) in February in Melbourne. He's part of my team. He supports me and guides me. I have a great connection with him. He sees the game very clearly. It helps me get to where I want to be one day. "In 2016, the semi-finalist of Roland-Garros 2020 even joined the club ... of Quimperlé, led by a Greek, Basile Spanos, who convinced his father on the sidelines of the Brest challenger tournament, where the apprentice champion s' was inclined as soon as he entered the competition facing… Jérémy Chardy.

In terms of the prize list, Tsitsipas also has strong links with France. The Greek has won seven tournaments on the ATP circuit, including Marseille twice (2019 and 2020), Lyon (2021) and the last Monte-Carlo Masters 1000 which is played in the town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Jean-François Caujolle, director of Open 13, appreciates the character's loyalty. “We have a kind of moral commitment,” he smiles. This is where he got one of his first invitations and he's coming back. This year, he came back for a guarantee (

Editor's note: sum assured promised to the best

) lower than what the Doha tournament offered the same week and significantly lower than 2020. "

Let your dreams be your wings.

🏆



Monte-Carlo thank you for all the small things that add to the journey!

Appreciation is a wonderful thing.

@rolexmcmasters pic.twitter.com/0FsQUTXW2r

- Stefanos Tsitsipas (@steftsitsipas) April 18, 2021

If he wins Roland Garros, Tsitsipas has promised to learn to speak French fluently next year.

He also likes to write tricolor expressions on Instagram, like a lunar

“it has nothing to do with sauerkraut”

at the beginning of the fortnight.

In the meantime, he will be able to use part of his prize money to afford a little foie gras, his guilty pleasure in blue-white-red gastronomy ...

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-06-14

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