Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals fulfilment of childhood dream involving his mother at Monte-Carlo Masters

Stefanos Tsitsipas fulfilled a life-long dream involving his mother at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

The World No. 3 comes from a tennis family, with his father Apostolos Tsitsipas being a tennis coach and his mother Julia Apostoli (nee. Salnikova) being a former tennis player. Moreover, all three of his younger siblings are associated with the sport.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who resides in Monaco, recently took a trip around Monte Carlo and showed tennis fans the places he holds dear. During the engaging tour, the 24-year-old revealed that he watched his first live tennis match at the Monte-Carlo Masters, a place where his mother, Julia, is a past winner.

“This is the very first tournament that I came, as a kid, to watch. A pretty good choice for my parents to bring me here,” Tsitsipas said in a video for the ATP Tour.

“1981 is the year my mother won the tournament here,” he added.

The two-time Monte-Carlo Masters champion further stated that he was proud to have followed in his mother's footsteps at the event, as it was his childhood dream to make it to the list of winners.

“I remember coming to this club when I was a little kid and looking up at the plaque, and seeing her name and thinking to myself - it would be so cool one day if I could have my name right next to hers. I’m more than proud to join her on that,” he remarked.

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"I feel my confidence rising every single day" – Stefanos Tsitsipas optimistic about defending Monte-Carlo Masters title

Stefanos Tsitsipas is the two-time Monte-Carlo Masters champion

Stefanos Tsitsipas is in pursuit of a hat-trick of titles at the ongoing 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters. The Greek’s only two Masters 1000 titles have come at the previous two editions of the Monte Carlo event (2021 and 2022).

Revealing his affection for the place, Tsitsipas said that he grew up eagerly waiting for autographs from his idols at the event. Unsurprisingly, he is pleased to now be one of them.

“I get a very warm response and it reminds me of my years when I was young. I used to be in these kids’ shoes, looking at them as gods. Now I get to be them in a way. I’m embracing every moment and I’m enjoying this as much as I can,” he said in the same video.

The 2023 Australian Open runner-up, who has faced a slump in his results in recent months due to a shoulder injury, also made an optimistic declaration about his form ahead of his opening singles match at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

“My tennis is good. My adjustment has been very positive. I’m pretty optimistic. I won’t lie. I feel very good. I just feel my confidence rising every single day. I really want to keep this going,” he stated.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is playing both singles and doubles at the Monte-Carlo Masters. On Tuesday, April 11, he is set to commence his singles campaign against Benjamin Bonzi in the Round of 32.

Tsitsipas is already through to the Round of 16 in doubles, partnering with his brother Petros. The duo have set up a clash with the pair of Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer.