Career Earnings: $25 Million
Age: 25
DOB: Born: 12 August 1998
Birthplace: Athens, Greece
Aside from the basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo (aka The Greek Freak), Stefanos Tsitsipas is possibly the most famous Greek sportsman since Hermès.
While he is only 25 years old, he has already established himself as one of the best players in the world – waiting in the wings to take over the mantle of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, as the next the next generation of tennis greats.
In August 2021 he ranked as high as number three in the world and has already taken out a couple of grand slams. With his best years ahead of him, he is set to significantly add to his current ten career titles. He is also very likely to increase his already sizeable net worth.
Early Life
Tsitsipas was born in Athens to his Greek father Apostolos and his Russian mother Julia Salnikova, who were respectively a tennis coach and line judge, and ex-professional player on the WTA Tour. It is fair to say sport was in his genes as his grandfather was Sergei Salnikov, a Soviet-born footballer who starred for the Russian clubs Zenit Leningrad, Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Moscow over the course of an impressive career. In addition, his mum’s twin sister (his aunt) was also a professional tennis player.
Stefanos was exposed to tennis pretty much from birth and was introduced to the game at the age of three. He began taking lessons at the age of six at the Tennis Club Glyfada which is situated near Athens. While his father was his primary coach, he also started training at the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
Junior Career
In 2013, Tsitsipas joined the ITF Junior Circuit when he was only 14 years old. While he didn’t play any Grade A tournament matches for over a year, he made a name for himself by reaching the final of an event at the Orange Bowl in only his second tournament.
The following year, Tsitsipas debut in junior Grand Slam tournaments, his most impressive performance being a quarterfinal at the Australian Open. However, in 2016 he enjoyed a breakout year which saw him reach, at least, the quarter-finals of all eight of the tournaments he entered, including each of the four grand slam events.
He eventually became the world’s top-ranked junior after triumphing at the Trofeo Bonfiglio to record his first win. Later that year he also won the European Junior Championships and the doubles at Wimbledon along with his partner Kenneth Raisma. In the process, he became the first Greek male tennis player to win a junior Grand Slam in modern times.
Pro Career
Tsitsipas turned pro in 2018, and at the time of writing, enjoys a 67.7% win percentage and a career record of 302 victories and 144 losses in main draw Grand Slam, David Cup and ATP Tour events.
Presently he has won 10 career titles including the Tours Finals in 2019. Despite reaching the final of the French Open in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2023, he is yet to win a Grand Slam Event as a singles player. Notwithstanding, he has been ranked as high as number three in the world in this form of the game.
As a doubles player he has won two career titles, though has a lower win ratio of only 38.8% having been victorious in 38 games and losing 60. His highest ranking has been 64, back in August 2022.
Overall, he has won about $28 million in prize money.
Playing Style
Tsitsipas is known for his versatile playing style, which allows him to play across the court.
He is an aggressive player who can play like an all-court player, much like Roger Federer. His tactic is often to hit powerful groundstroke winners with his strong forehand that uses an Eastern grip. At the same time, his forehand is often effective in finishing points straight off his opponents first serve. Additionally, he bring out a high topspin rate to draw his opponents away from the main part of the court to hit winners or head to a position at the net more regularly than other predominantly baseline players.
However, he has a tendency to make unforced errors or overhit the ball while trying to smash winners, which is one of his weaknesses. He often finds it hard to return serve against players who have powerful kick serves over their backhand side. To improve his weakness, he has worked on using blocked and slice returns on his backhand.
Tsitsipas’s preferred shot is his one-handed backhand, which is a rarity in modern tennis. Although his forehand is still his stronger swing, he loves to hit his one-handed backhand down the line.
Endorsements
In addition to what he has won in prize money, Stefanos also earns a significant amount of money from lucrative endorsement deals with brands like Rolex, Adidas, Melissa and Rexona.
Personal Life
Tsitsipas is the oldest of four children, with two brothers and a sister who also all play tennis to a good standard. Aside from tennis, he is also a huge fan of the Greek football team AEK Athens.
Aside from his tennis prowess, Stefanos can speak three languages – Greek, English and French. He is also a passionate vlogger, hosting his own YouTube channel which predominantly highlights his travel videos.
Currently Tsitsipas is dating the American born, Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa. He practices the Greek Orthodox Christian religion.
When he was younger he almost drowned whilst swimming in the sea in Crete during a day off from the Futures. However, his father saved him.