Already with an ATP Finals title to his name, Stefanos Tsitsipas became the first Greek to win an ATP Masters 1000 event on Sunday, when he defeated a red-hot Andrey Rublev in the Monte-Carlo final. The 6-3, 6-3 win completed a dominant week for the champion, who did not drop a set in five matches on the red clay.
Contested by two of the tour's in-form players, the final also served as a showdown for the No. 1 spot in the ATP's Race to Turin, with Tsitsipas' victory putting him in pole position just ahead of the Russian, with both having played seven tournaments on the year.
In Monte-Carlo wins over 2021 breakout star Aslan Karatesev, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Cristian Garin, Dan Evans—who took out Novak Djokovic in the Round of 16—and Rublev, the clinical Greek was broken just three times combined, and was never pushed as far as a tiebreak. Tsitsipas was particularly efficient in the final, winning all three of his break points (including one on match point) and not facing a BP against.
The victory cements Tsitsipas' status in the ATP's Top 5, where he has been since March on the heels of a second Australian Open semifinal in three years. His 7,860 ranking points leave him closer to Rafael Nadal at No. 3 than to Rublev at No. 6, and he has not dropped out of the ATP's Top 10 since he first broke through more than two years ago, in March of 2019.
Here's more on the Monte-Carlo champion.
The Stefanos Tsitsipas File
Age: 22
Birthplace: Athens, Greece
Current Rank: 5
Career-High Rank: 5 (August 2019)
Best US Open Finish: Round 3 (2020)
The Baseline
- Born in Athens, Tsitsipas lists his official residence as Monte Carlo, Monaco, making this something of a hometown title for him. His mother, Julia Apostoli (formerly Salnikova) was a Monte-Carlo junior champion in 1981 before a pro career that saw her enter the WTA's Top 200. But it is Tsitsipas' father, Apostolos, who serves as his coach. Though he grew up playing soccer and basketball—and was ultimately called up to the Greek national soccer team—Apostolos studied tennis as a sports science major at the Unviersity of Athens and has been his son's full-time coach since he was 12.
- The Monte-Carlo final was Tsitsipas' second of 2021. He also reached the title match in the Acapulco ATP 500 event in March, falling to 2020 US Open finalist Alex Zverev, 6-4, 7-6. He's also advanced to two semifinals (Australian Open, Rotterdam) and two quarterfinals (Miami Masters, Marseille) on the year.
- Tsitsipas entered the 2020 US Open as the No. 4 seed, with a golden opportunity to improve on a lifetime 1-2 record in the New York main draw. Though he did reach Round 3 for a career-best showing on the blue hard courts, his progress came to a stinging end against No. 27 seed Borna Coric, who saved six match points in a five-set victory that ended in a fifth-set tiebreak, 6-7, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6. Tsitsipas later commented that the match was both "the saddest and funniest thing" to happen in his career.
- Despite that disappointment, Tsitsipas ended 2020 on a high note, reaching the final in Hamburg and the semifinals at Roland Garros. In that French Open semifinal, he showed the fighting spirit that has come to define his early career by coming back from two sets down to force a fifth set against Novak Djokovic.
- Tsitsipas made it back-to-back Grand Slam semis by repeating the feat at the 2021 Australian Open. This time, he was able to complete a comeback from two sets down against one of the Big 3, grinding his way past Rafael Nadal, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4, 7-5, before running out of gas in the semis against Daniil Medvedev.
- The Greek has entered four doubles events in 2020 with his younger brother, 20-year-old Petros, who's ranked just inside the ATP's Top 1,000 in singles. The brothers have notched two victories on the season, including a Monte-Carlo match tiebreak win over Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau, both Top 25 doubles players.
They Said It!
“I can’t describe my feelings right now. I am overwhelmed by so many different emotions and nostalgia. It is incredible that I am able to be in the position that I am. We both deserved to be in the final. We put on an amazing fight and an amazing show… I would consider it as the [best] week of my life so far.” — Tsitsipas said in his post-match interview, as quoted on ATPTour.com.
