Stefanos Tsitsipas says he is glad that he never had to face Rafael Nadal on the Spaniard’s favourite court.
The Greek star said: “I was lucky not to play against him on the Chatrier, because I don’t think it would have been a fun experience.
“I played against him on clay, he has a knack for it, a talent, as he has done for years. I have enormous respect for him. He taught me a lot about the game on clay, about determination, about perseverance on a tennis court.
“I always talked about Roger Federer saying that he was the person I admired, but I think it was a bit of both. I never admitted that it was Rafa too, because I felt like I had a game that was closer to Federer’s, but maybe if I had a two-handed backhand like him, I might have played as many Roland-Garros as him, 29 Roland-Garros I think, including 14 victories.
“In fact, it’s strange to see him stop competing and live a different life than he lived for years.”
