Tsitsipas’ letter to tennis: “Every day I feel grateful that I have chosen you”

I remember the first time I was introduced to you, it was in 2001. Both my parents, Apostolos and Julia, introduced me to this beautiful sport that I play today. What I felt with you was that I was part of the playground, my own playground where there were no rules or boundaries.

I fell in love with you when I was eight, when I won my first tournament in Normandy. I remember waking up in the middle of the night, going to wake my dad up and telling him “Take me out of every other sport, football, swimming, track. I just want to play tennis and that’s going to be my sport for the rest of my life.” .

I played my first match on the ATP tour in Rotterdam in 2017. I was still young then and my first opponent was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. I was a very free-spirited player back then, playing without consequence, and that match taught me to be more cautious in my strokes and selections and shaped me into a more mature, more controlled tennis player.

Since that moment I have come a very long way. I had tough wins, tough losses, nights where I couldn’t sleep because of the pain I was in because I had lost matches I shouldn’t have lost. Lots of love for the game and lots of hate at the same time.

One of the most important moments you have given me was my first 1000 point Masters tournament title in Monte Carlo, where I feel a bit at home. I used to go to this tournament when I was little and winning there brought me a lot of emotions, I felt a lot of nostalgia. It was definitely a feeling you can’t trade for anything else.

You taught me to live life as it comes, to never question myself and just keep living regardless of the outcome. I have been very dedicated and focused on this journey. Every day I feel grateful that I have chosen you.