Stefanos Tsitsipas learned of his grandmother's death just before the final of the French Open.
In an emotional message, the Greek mourns his grandmother.
Paris - Stefanos Tsitsipas was one of the big surprises at this year's French Open *.
The 22-year-old captured hearts in Paris with his fearless game and his personable manner by storm.
His strong performances led him to the Roland Garros final.
But shortly before the final, Tsitsipas received tragic news.
His grandmother had died.
One can only guess what must have been going on in the young Greek in the next few hours.
In retrospect, the defeat against Novak Djokovic * becomes a minor matter.
French Open: Tsitsipas mourns the deceased grandma - shock news only five minutes before the final against Djokovic
"Five minutes before I entered the court, my beloved grandmother lost her fight for life," wrote Tsitsipas on Monday morning in an emotional statement on Instagram.
"She was a wise woman whose belief in life and her willingness to give and provide cannot be compared to any other person I have ever met."
Tsitsipas added that it is important that there are more people like her in this world. “Because people like her make you come alive. They make you dream ”, wrote the athlete from Athens, who was defeated by Djokovic in the final * of the French Open 7: 6 (8: 6), 6: 2, 3: 6, 2: 6, 4: 6 after a big fight. In the semifinals, he had also prevailed over five sets against Germany's top player Alexander Zverev.
Tsitsipas did not let the terrible news of his grandmother's death so shortly before his first final in a Grand Slam show.
After winning the first two sets, he was close to the greatest success of his young career, but in the end he ran out of strength.
Tsitsipas was probably thinking of his grandmother during the game too, so his performance over four hours of play is all the more remarkable.
Check out this post on Instagram
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French Open: Tsitsipas sends an emotional message after the death of his grandmother
The Greek also emphasized that there is more to life than cups.
“Life is not about winning or losing.
It's about enjoying every single moment, whether it's alone or with others, ”says Tsitsipas.
"Lifting trophies and celebrating victories is something, but not everything."
The fourth in the world rankings, who looked inconsolable after the match, added a photo of himself with the silver tray for the defeated finalist: "I want to say that regardless of the day, the circumstances and the situation, everything is dedicated to her and only to her." He thanked her his grandmother for raising his father, who is also his trainer.
"Without him it would not have been possible," wrote Tsitsipas in conclusion.
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