‘King Of Clay’ Rafael Nadal has always been an inspiration for many on the clay courts. With a staggering 63 titles on clay, the Spaniard is the epitome of clay-court tennis. Over time, not only has he set a pace for others to follow, but also inspired many other players.
One such player is Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is also known to thrive in clay courts. In a recent press meet at the Mutua Madrid Open, the Greek pro dedicated his title wins to Nadal, considering him as a source of inspiration. Trying to implement what Rafael Nadal uses in his gameplay, Tsitsipas is constantly trying to improve his game likewise.
A lot of the big clay court titles I have won are due to him. I think his game serves as a source of inspiration for other players to try and take the best qualities he has on the clay courts. It is something he has been doing exceptionally well over a decade. Stefanos Tsitsipas said
This year itself, the Greek pro started his clay court season on a high. He went all guns blazing at the Monte Carlo Masters to win his third title. After which, he continued the same form at the Barcelona Open, and went until the finals before losing.
Stefanos Tsitsipas ousted by Brazilian Thiago Monteiro in his first round of the Madrid Open
A major upset at the Mutua Madrid Open as Brazilian Thiago Monteiro outplayed Stefanos Tsitsipas. Monteiro headed into the matchup with several losses at a challenger level, and it looked like it was going to be another loss for him.
However, the Brazilian put immense pressure on the Greek, with his hard serves and accurate forehands. With 89% of first-serve points, he was on top of his game. Tsitsipas, however, said that he was not 100% heading into the game.
Furthermore, he heaped praise on his opponent. Tsitsipas said that the Brazilian punished him with every shot. Also, the Greek even praised his opponent’s first serves, which gave him the edge, and in 97 minutes, the game was won by him.
He was very aggressive, very persistent. His first-serve percentage was pretty high, a very good first-serve percentage... I just wish I could return the way I did in the last game. I felt out of rhythm the entire match on my return. I felt very unbalanced and my body was going all over the place. Stefanos Tsitsipas said after the match
A poor couple of days for Tsitsipas, who even struggled in practice. After great wins, the Greek pro will look to get back to the drawing board and hope to regain the lost ranking points soon.
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