Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals secret Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic motivation behind ATP Tour success

Stefanos Tsitsipas opened up about the expectations he had for himself early in his career in a podcast interview with the Tennis Insider Club. Reflecting on the transition from juniors to the professional circuit, the Greek tennis star discussed how he wanted to face the greats before they retired.

Tsitsipas revealed that he finished his junior career ranked number two in the ITF juniors but opted to skip the orange ball tournament to play pro tournaments which helped him boost his ranking and break into the top 400 by the time he finished his ITF juniors. Tsitsipas stated:

“So, I remember finishing the season number two in ITF juniors because I skipped orange ball. I decided not to play it, I went to play some pro tournaments instead. So at the time I was already ahead in terms of ranking. I was probably top 400 by the time I finished with ITF juniors, so that was a really good indication. And I was already kind of prepared for the next phase because I was combining both.” [10:26]

Further, he added that his foremost objective was to break into the Grand Slam qualifying draws for which he had to play challenger tournaments, and his motivation behind this was to play Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic before they retired.

“My expectation at the time was to try and make it into a Grand Slam qualifying draw. 400 is quite far, you still need 150 spots, you know how it is. So you still need to prepare, be good in some challenger tournaments and show some good results here and there to be able to collect those point and go far,” Stefanos Tsitsipas said [11:05].

This phase of his career was all about grinding through smaller tournaments, gaining confidence, and building a strong foundation for future success. Then he shared his true motivation for why he broke onto the professional circuit so early.

“But because Roger Federer was my idol, I really wanted to catch him before he retired. It’s true, I have never really disclosed that before but I know was in a tricky phase situation where the top three still playing but obviously they are not the youngest anymore. So I was like, at least I want to play the top three before they retire or they stop. So I really want to be in a good situation ranking wise to do that,” Stefanos Tsitsipas remarked.

Now a mainstay in the ATP’s top rankings, the current World No. 12 spent four years in the top 10, reaching a career-high ranking of World No. 3. Tsitsipas continues to chase his dreams, fueled by the same passion that drove him in his early years.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas record against the ‘Big 3’

Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2025 Australian Open - Source: Getty

Stefanos Tsitsipas has had a mixed record against the legendary trio of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, but his victories have been significant milestones in his career.

His wish eventually came true when he faced Federer at the 2019 Australian Open, where he famously defeated him in the fourth round. A match that marked his breakthrough on the big stage. Tsitsipas has a head-to-head record of 2-2 against his idol.

He has also had memorable battles against Nadal and Djokovic, proving his spot among the sport’s elite.

Tsitsipas also defeated Rafael Nadal on multiple occasions. One of his most memorable victories came in the 2021 Australian Open quarterfinals. The Greek has a 2-7 head-to-head record against Nadal.

While Novak Djokovic has often had the upper hand in their matchups, Tsitsipas has consistently posed a tough challenge. Their encounters in the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open finals were fiercely contested, with Tsitsipas pushing Djokovic to his limits in both. The Serbian leads their head-to-head with 12-2.

Despite the challenges, Stefanos Tsitsipas continues to refine his game and remains one of the few players capable of challenging the dominance of the Big 3.