By Karolos Grohmann
PARIS (Reuters) – World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas will be downing red wine, munching on baguettes and smiling a lot in Paris, hoping this will lead to success at the French Open, he said on Sunday.
The Greek, known for his occasional outbursts during matches even directed at his own team, said he was a great admirer of top seed Carlos Alcaraz’s sunny approach to the game.
Alcaraz, at 20, is four years younger than Tsitsipas, but the Greek said it was the Spaniard’s constant smiles and charisma that he found impressive.
“Red wine and baguettes,” Tsitsipas, a Paris finalist in 2021, said when asked about his plan to go deep in the tournament. “Plenty of red wine and baguettes would help to do well in Paris.”
But his biggest change in Paris will be in his attitude.
“I had a practice session with Carlitos (Alcaraz) the other day and did throw in a ‘thank you’ just randomly, and I don’t know if he understood that or not,” Tsitsipas, chasing his first Grand Slam title, said.
“I owe a lot to Carlitos, because he’s such a breath of fresh air. That contributed to his growth as a tennis player. I kind of admire him for who he is,” Tsitsipas said.
Alcaraz took the tennis world by storm as a teenager in 2022, winning the U.S. Open title along with claiming the number one spot.
“He seems to be enjoying it, having fun. I have the capacity to be that person. I truly believe it,” said Tsitsipas, who battled past Jiri Vesely in four sets to move into the second round.
“That’s the reason I am much more joyful and happy playing this sport, due to him.”
His comments come a week after his latest outburst, when he swore at his mother and told her to shut up during a changeover in his Italian Open semi-final defeat by Daniil Medvedev.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)
