ATP: Jim Courier on Stefanos Tsitsipas - "A year of maturity"
According to ex-tennis superstar Jim Courier , the many ups and downs of the past season should have really pushed Stefanos Tsitsipas ' maturation process forward.
by Stefan Bergmann
last edit:
Nov 19, 2023, 07:47 am
It was a ride on the emotional rollercoaster: Stefanos Tsitsipas, the current number five in the ATP rankings, had to process many highs and lowlights in the 2023 season - most of them on a mental level. In terms of sport, things started very promisingly for the Greek with his participation in the final at the Australian Open. However, Tsitsipas was subsequently unable to maintain the high level.
At the end of the season, he clearly qualified for the ATP Finals in Turin, but there the 25-year-old was struck by severe back pain, which resulted in a forfeit in the second group game against Holger Rune. Not a nice end to the current season for the attractive southern European - but the year 2024 could have another significant improvement in terms of sport, at least according to former US tennis star Jim Courier.
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"He's not stubborn"
The now 53-year-old said in the Tennis Channel podcast that his strengths were there. He has a great game and is an incredible athlete. But: "I think it was a year of maturity. [..] He went through a lot this year. He publicly declared his love for the first time (note: his partner is the Spaniard Paula Badosa) and he has separated from his father as coach and brought in Mark Philippoussis."
"But that didn't work, so he went back to the old training setting. He also won a doubles title with his brother (note: at the ATP World Tour 250 event in Antwerp), which was a magical moment for him . So there were a lot of emotional ups and downs." Incidentally, Courier also understood Tsitsipas' controversial appearance in the second group game at the ATP Finals: "He is not stubborn and would have really wished he could continue playing. But the court in Turin is lightning fast and it can be very difficult to adjust the speed - even for the fittest players."
Here is the individual tableau from Turin.
turinmap