Stefanos Tsitsipas has just about confirmed that he will not be enjoying blended doubles with Maria Sakkari on the Paris Olympics because the Greek tennis star famous that his focus is on competing within the singles and males’s doubles occasions on the upcoming Video games.
During the last couple of years, Tsitsipas, 25, and 28-year-old Sakkari have represented Greece a number of instances in crew competitions though they’ve by no means performed collectively in a Grand Slam. And contemplating that it’s the Olympic yr, the idea was that Tsitsipas and Sakkari enjoying blended doubles in Paris was set in stone.
EDITOR’S PICKS
However final week, world No. 6 Sakkari shocked everybody when she made a public plea to Tsitsipas to rethink his alternative and comply with play blended doubles along with her on the Paris Olympics. That is when the general public realized that Tsitsipas surprisingly wasn’t planning on enjoying blended doubles with Sakkari on the Paris Olympics.
“I want to play blended doubles as a result of I actually suppose now we have a great probability, however so far as I do know he is planning on not enjoying blended as a result of he is enjoying doubles along with his brother,” Sakkari mentioned final week throughout the BJK Cup motion.
“Everybody is aware of how good we will play. It is a 16-draw, you win two matches you are within the semis and then you definately get an opportunity to win a medal. That might be enormous for our nation. And the best way that we play collectively, not many groups have that chemistry. I simply really feel like it might be unlucky if we do not play collectively, however it’s his resolution. From my facet I actually wish to play.”
Tsitsipas explains why he is not planning on enjoying with Sakkari on the Paris Olympics
This previous week, Tsitsipas put up his greatest run of the season to win his first title of the yr on the Monte Carlo Masters. After ousting Casper Ruud 6-1 6-4 within the Monte Carlo last, Tsitsipas was requested to handle Sakkari’s feedback and reveal his place on enjoying blended doubles on the Paris Olympics.
Answering the query, Tsitsipas underlined that the principle focus is on the singles occasion, in addition to enjoying doubles along with his 23-year-old brother Petros. When it particularly involves Sakkari’s feedback, Tsitsipas spoke extraordinarily extremely of the 28-year-old as a tennis participant and agreed along with her assertion that this was an ideal alternative for them to play collectively. However Tsitsipas’ precedence shouldn’t be actually enjoying blended doubles with Sakkari.
“What I wish to do is obvious. If I handle to get within the Olympic Video games with my brother Petros, I might wish to play singles and doubles with him,” Tsitsipas mentioned.
“I might say that enjoying three occasions in a single event is a bit an excessive amount of for me, bodily taxing, and I might wish to keep away from that. I am know that it is the Olympics and it is an important alternative to play with Maria, and I fully agree she’s top-of-the-line companions to have within the blended doubles discipline. I’ve had nice moments along with her.
“However on the identical time, I’ve a dream with my brother I would wish to share and be one of many only a few brothers which have ever performed collectively within the Olympics, particularly in tennis. Nothing is stronger than that dream, and I actually wish to make this doable for the each of us.
“It is household, and mixing it with such a big occasion that dates again to historical Greece, for us, it is larger than the rest.”
Tsitsipas’ historical past along with his brother, Sakkari
Since debuting as a pair on the ATP Tour in 2019, the Tsitsipas brothers have been enjoying collectively in annually since.
Of their first couple of years, they did not actually have a lot success collectively. However then final fall, the Tsitsipas brothers put up their greatest run at an ATP 250 event in Antwerp, the place they gained their first title as a duo after edging out Ariel Behar and Adam Pavlasek 6-7 (5) 6-4 10-8.
After the win, Tsitsipas described it as “essentially the most emotional win” of his profession and a dream come true.
This yr, the Tsitsipas brothers are 1-3 as their lone win got here within the Davis Cup whereas their three losses got here within the opening rounds of the Australian Open, Los Cabos and Acapulco.
With Sakkari, Tsitsipas debuted as a pair in 2019 and since then they’ve posted a 6-4 file collectively.
In 2021, Tsitsipas and Sakkari teamed up for the blended doubles occasion on the Tokyo Olympics. Sadly for the Greek duo that entered with excessive hopes and as one of many favorites for the title, they managed to win only one match earlier than dropping to Ashleigh Barty and John Friends within the quarterfinal.
Earlier this yr, Tsitsipas and Sakkari surprisingly went 0-2 of their two matches on the United Cup.
