By Chris Oddo | Sunday January 20, 2019
After his four-set triumph over Roger Federer on Sunday in Melbourne, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas says mental toughness was what helped him saved all 12 break points he faced and eventually get over the hump against the 20-time major and six-time Australian Open champion.
“I could have cracked at any moment, but I didn't because I really wanted it bad,” Tsitsipas said in his press conference. “I showed it on the court. Obviously and for sure that mental toughness helped a lot. It could have been a different match if I wouldn't stand that pressure."
The 20-year-old is into his first Grand Slam quarterfinal on just his seventh main draw appearance at a major, and that leaves him just one victory shy of what he listed as one of his pre-season goals for 2019—to reach the semifinals of a major.
But his impressive takedown of the Swiss maestro has led many believe that he could be ready to win the whole tournament. Tsitsipas said the following when a reporter asked him if he can go all the way:
“For sure. That's why I'm here,” he said. “That's why I'm playing, for the trophy, for the title."
Tsitsipas’ success has many wondering what how he has been able to develop so quickly. The Greek played the Australian Open with a ranking of 82 in the world last year and fell in the first round to Canada’s Denis Shapovalov. This year, he’s considered to be far ahead of the Canadian in terms of potential to make an impact at the majors, and we saw the difference between the two as Shapovalov played without clarity and consistency in his four-set loss to Novak Djokovic in round three.
Meanwhile, Tsitsipas says it is clarity that has helped him develop into a lethal threat on the court in the last 52 weeks.
“If I take a decision, I won't hesitate,” Tsitsipas said. “That's pretty much what I've changed in my development as a player. I stopped being hesitant on what I'm going to do when the ball is in front of me. I know from the very beginning where I'm going to go, what I'm going to do, what is my plan with that shot. That's something that I have improved a lot.”