The Greek sensation had the opportunity to both play against and practice with the American legend prior to the Australian Open. By: Chris Oddo
Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas is developing a friendship with—and healthy respect for—Serena Williams. The pair competed against one another at Hopman Cup earlier in the month and later Stefanos had a hitting session with the 23-time major champion.
“It was all arranged by Patrick [coach Mouratoglou],” Tsitsipas said. “I mean, yeah, he invited me for a hit. I said yes. It was a great opportunity to practice with her.”
Tsitsipas said that Williams was in stellar form, and generally more competitive than his typical practice partners, whether they be male or female.
“She was practicing really good,” he said. “I would probably say even better than some of the male players that I've been practicing with.”
Tsitsipas, who became the first Greek ATP player to win a match at the Australian Open on Monday when he defeated Matteo Berrettini, said that he enjoyed hearing Williams’ take on things.
“I enjoyed it,” he said. “She's a very interesting person, very open-minded, I would say. She had lots of topics when we'd sit down to drink water or rehydrate ourselves. We talked about some interesting stuff.”
When asked what it was that made Williams special, he said it was her je ne sais quoi.
“Her attitude, for sure,” Tsitsipas said. “She has a different approach than any I would say female player that I've met. She has this thing, you know, she's really – how can I explain it? She has a lot of confidence in herself. Like really she knows what she's doing on and off the court. She's a lovely person outside the court. Just this attitude that she has of hating to lose. That's what makes her a great champion. That's what I notice on the court.”
He added: “She has something different than the other players.”
