‘Really Want to Be Like Him’ – Stefanos Tsitsipas Says He Wants to Emulate Carlos Alcaraz on the Court

Stefanos Tsitsipas is going gala over the current form of Carlos Alcaraz. According to him, the Spaniard is really impressive on the court. The on-court rivalry between the two kicked off at the 2021 US Open. To date, the two have faced each other three times, with Alcaraz winning all three clashes.

Following his devastating form since the Miami Open, Alcaraz recently announced his withdrawal from the Rome Masters. The step came in as a move to prepare better for the upcoming Roland Garros. On the other hand, following a win in Monte Carlo, and reaching the later rounds in Barcelona and Madrid, Tsitsipas is scheduled to kick off his Rome campaign in the second round.

Recently, during a pre-tournament press conference, Stefanos was questioned to give his take on the current form of Alcaraz. He was also asked to express how it feels to have the hot player of the sport being younger than him.

What is impressing Tsitsipas the most about Alcaraz’s game?

Since the start of the year, Carlos Alcaraz has been in what one calls the ‘peak form’. With his highly aggressive game in place, the 19-year-old Spaniard has been outplaying his opponents and winning titles in a way that is nothing less than a top player. He last won the Madrid Open, outplaying the biggest names of the sport like Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev.

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Highly impressed by Alcaraz’s performance, Tsitsipas gave an in-depth take on what impresses him the most about Spaniard’s game. The Greek star said, “I think he puts a lot of energy into every single shot. He is quick, he has a good reaction time, he reads the game well. He inspires me a lot. I really want to be like him. I look up to him.”

Alcaraz is undoubtedly one of the most looked upon players right now. At just 19 years of age, he has continuously proved himself to be one of the top players in the game. With his massive results in place, he is unquestionably one of the top contenders at Roland Garros.

In the words of Tsitsipas, he also wishes to have the level that Alcaraz is at currently. He said, “I know he’s at a young, early stage of his career. I can see him becoming big in a very short time. I’d really like to get to the level he is right now. I think he’s one of the best players in the world, to be honest. He has proved it with consistent results, thriving in the biggest tournaments. There is nothing you can take away from that.”

Tsitsipas on 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz being the hottest player on the tour

As mentioned earlier, Carlos is one of the most promising players on the tour right now. Being in his best form, he is on his way to outplaying the biggest names of the sport. An example of the same was seen at the Madrid Open where he beat Novak Djokovic, and the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal. With his mighty game in place, he has also left behind a number of older players in the ATP rankings.

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Opening up on how the older guys must be seeing Alcaraz overtaking them, Tsitsipas said, “Some older guys will take it very – I don’t know – personal, it would strengthen your ego, let’s say.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 03: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during his Men’s Singles third round match on Day Five at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 03, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Going further, Tsitsipas asserted that one can see the hunger in Alcaraz. The Greek compared Alcaraz to himself during his initial time on the ATP Tour. The 23-year-old won his first title at the age of 19 in Stockholm. The same year he also reached the finals of ATP Masters Canada and the Barcelona Open.

Comparing himself with Alcaraz, Stefanos said, “You can see he’s very hungry. He plays very fresh and hungry, like has nothing to lose. It kind of reminds me of my early days when I was introduced to the ATP Tour. I didn’t really know what to expect along the way. I was just playing carelessly, completely free-spirited. It’s a nice thing to see.”

The presence of Alcaraz in the draw

Carlos has withdrawn from the Rome Masters. However, he is sure to play at the 2022 Roland Garros, scheduled to start on 22nd May. Even though he might be a young player, his presence in the draw is sure to make the other competing players uncomfortable.

Tsitsipas feels no different. He said, “With him in most of the draws, the lineup is getting even tougher. I will for sure have to work harder to get the results that I ever wanted.”

Tennis – ATP Masters 1000 – Madrid Open – Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain – May 7, 2022 Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz Garfia arrives before his semi final match against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

Stefanos will try his luck at the Rome Masters. He will kick off his campaign with a second-round clash against Grigor Dimitrov.

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