It is time for the fans to raise the bar of expectations as the clay-court season begins. While the top-ranked players are gearing up for the Monte Carlo Masters, the fans are waiting to witness the high-intensity competition. With the ATP stars busy building their grip on the European clay, 2023’s Barcelona Open finalists Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev decided to take the fun road.
Tsitsipas and Rublev recently took a break from their busy tournament preparations to spread joy among kids in Downtown Monte Carlo. The place, which is generally seen flooded with people carrying their shopping bags, had a small tennis court this time, captivating the attention of all.
As the duo was spotted playing tennis with local children in an unexpected court setup, more and more people kept coming forward to be a part of the fun engagement. Monte Carlo Masters’ official X handle shared a summarising video of the event, in which Tsitsipas shared his surprise, saying, “I usually come here to get fruits and veggies, but today was special. I never expected a tennis court here. Starting the tournament this way was unbelievable.”
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Play for the kids. ❤️ 🤍
Behind the scenes as Stef & Andrey played tennis with young tennis fans in downtown Monte Carlo!@steftsitsipas @AndreyRublev97 #RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/Fvk0mqsPgI
— Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (@ROLEXMCMASTERS) April 7, 2024
Along with that, Rublev, who joined him in this fun setup, expressed his pleasure in spending time with the kids, stating, “If there are kids who want to hang out with me, it’s a joy. The most important thing is if people enjoy it.”
Tsitspas also explained how it felt being surrounded by kids who look forward to the stars and aspire to be like them. Reflecting on his own past, Tsitsipas mentioned, “Seeing all these kids reminded me of when I looked up to tennis players. It’s great to give back to them, just as others did for me.”
Their heartwarming gesture not only brought smiles to the children’s faces but also showcased the players’ humility and love for their fans.
Stefanos Tsitsipas comments on the best generation tennis has seen
Besides indulging in fun activities with the kids, Stefanos Tsitsipas also keeps an unwavering focus on the tennis scene. Recently, the tennis star took time to appreciate the efforts and rapid growth of champions like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
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Players with 3+ Masters 1000 SFs since Rome 2022
• Stefanos Tsitsipas 3**
• Daniil Medvedev 3*
• Jannik Sinner 3
• Carlos Alcaraz 3
• Holger Rune 3
• Casper Ruud 3*can reach his 4th today
**either he will reach his 4th or Coric will reach his 3rd pic.twitter.com/lQOe6IDT2B— Mario Boccardi (@marioboc17) May 18, 2023
“In terms of improvement, I feel like tennis hasn’t seen such a good generation of players in a while and I truly mean it when I say that I feel like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, obviously all the other guys as well, they’ve been pushing me to be better,” Tsitsipas said, reflecting on the recent achievements of these stars.
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As all the players enter into the clay court season, it still remains to be seen if Alcaraz and Sinner will continue to possess the lead or will players like Tsitsipas overtake them.