Stefanos Tsitsipas says self-talk, encouragement and motivation help him deal with mental stress and loneliness

World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas recently disclosed his tactic for handling mental stress and keeping himself motivated on the court. The Greek star highlighted the importance of self-talk and a solid support system in staving off loneliness and isolation.

Naomi Osaka's open stance on mental health helped initiate a much-needed conversation in the sport about the emotional challenges that athletes face in their day-to-day lives. Earlier this year, the Japanese star withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon Championships, citing mental health issues. She later announced an indefinite break from tennis.

Osaka has since returned to training in Los Angeles and looks set to make a comeback at the 2022 Australian Open.

On the 14th episode of 'The Madhappy Podcast', Stefanos Tsitsipas opened up about dealing with the mental pressure that tennis players are subjected to on a daily basis.

Tsitsipas emphasized the importance of self-talk and claimed that it gives a lot of encouragement and motivation to the players while on the court. He believes that it is a great technique to deal with the pressure.

"The self-talk, the encouragement, the motivation that you are trying to bring in yourself, all these are key components to kind of, rich of the highest. That is something that the best players do the best out on the court," said the World No. 4.

Stefanos Tsitsipas at the ATP Finals 2021

The Greek called tennis an "introverted sport" where only those who learn to deal with mental stress succeed.

"Tennis is a very introverted sport and you kind of, learn to deal with it at a very young age. It's something that you really have to manage well and that is what separates the best players from the average players," said Tsitsipas in the interview.

Tsitsipas is often seen talking to himself on the court. He is quite expressive and gesticulates whenever he wins or loses a point, as though he is trying to convey a message to himself.

Stefanos Tsitsipas explains the importance of a team in tennis

On the same podcast, Tsitsipas said that tennis is also a team sport. He claimed that the presence of his coach, his father Apostolos Tsitsipas, Patrick Mouratoglou, his physiotherapist and fitness trainer by his side makes him feel less lonely both on and off the court.

"For me personally, I see tennis as me there on the court myself, doing my own thing but I also think tennis is a team sport. I have a team by my side, have my coach, my physio, my fitness trainer... So, this kind of, makes it less lonely..." concluded Tsitsipas.

Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Vienna Open 2021

Stefanos Tsitsipas is currently recovering from an elbow injury that forced him to withdraw from this year's ATP Finals midway through the tournament. Having stepped up his recovery, Tsitsipas will be looking to make a strong comeback next year.