What happens when a young tennis player rises idolizing a legend, monitoring their every move, and building their game in the hope that someday they will stand across the net from that idol? Tennis history has plenty of such stories to share – Rafael Nadal chasing Pete Sampras records, Carlos Alcaraz fashioning himself after Nadal. Now Stefanos Tsitsipas has also spilled the beans about his idol growing up; the Greek star watched Roger Federer dominate the sport, winning 20 Grand Slam titles and redefining attacking tennis – all with elegance and grace to boot.

The Swiss Maestro’s fluid one-handed backhand, effortless movement, and net-rushing style captivated a young Tsitsipas, whose game mirrors some of those elements too. The Greek had always dreamed of sharing the court with his idol. In fact, by his own admission, one of his biggest motivations was to play Federer before he hung up his racket. Alas! By the time Tsitsipas turned pro in 2016, Federer was in the late stages of his career.

Recently, Tsitsipas made an appearance on the Tennis Inside Club podcast, hosted by Caroline Garcia and Borja Duran, where the Greek star admitted how he wanted to play his idol: “But also because Roger Federer was my idol, I really wanted to catch him before he retires. It’s true, I never disclosed that before. But I knew I was in a tricky phase, with the top three still playing but obviously not the youngest anymore. So I was like, I want to play them before they retire. I want to be in a good situation ranking-wise to do that.These were the guys, these were the reasons I wanted to be the best in tennis because I saw them play on TV and I really wanted to see how it feels being like them”.

Stefanos Tsitsipas always had a childhood dream of playing against Roger Federer, which he did fulfil. But how did that dream fare when reality hit? In 2019, Tsitsipas achieved a career-defining moment, beating Federer in the Australian Open fourth round. But Federer wasn’t one to be outdone. He exacted revenge, just two months later, at the Dubai Open by overpowering Tsitsipas in straight sets. With a 2-2 head-to-head, their rivalry was a promising one—but it was tragically cut short by Federer’s retirement in 2022.

After Roger Federer hung up his racket in 2022, Stefanos Tsitsipas has seen ups and downs in his career. He made it to the final match of the 2023 Australian Open, but Novak Djokovic beat him there. He showed he’s still got what it takes on clay courts by winning another Monte Carlo Masters. But inconsistency has plagued his Grand Slam runs. Early exits at Wimbledon and the US Open highlighted the challenges of sustaining elite-level success. Was lagging motivation a factor?

The Greek star’s hero, Roger Federer, himself weighed in on Tsitsipas’ evolution. Speaking to Cosmote TV last year, Federer acknowledged the young gun’s talent, but challenged him to raise his level. “Good, I mean, I obviously lost against him a bunch of times, and I think he’s a great player, but I would like to see him taking it to the next level.” And Tsitsipas might have the chance to take his game to the next level at the Rotterdam Open, despite his first round disappointment at the Australian Open.

Greek Star Secures Last-Minute Entry into ATP 500 Tournament as Wild Card Recipient

Stefanos Tsitsipas returns to Rotterdam after skipping the ABN AMRO Open last year. The Greek star has accepted a wild card to play in the 2025 event scheduled from February 3 to 9. Tsitsipas, who made it to the final in 2022 aims to bounce back from a slow season start—he’s won one out of three matches in 2025. But he knows well enough that he faces tough competition on the indoor courts of Netherlands.

The tournament draw happening on January 31, will include a strong lineup. Top seed Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev lead the pack. Other players to watch out for include World No. 8 Alex de Minaur, 2021 champion Andrey Rublev, up-and-comer Holger Rune, and Dutch hopeful Tallon Griekspoor. But one big name won’t be there: Jannik Sinner. The world No. 1 decided not to play in Rotterdam just a day after winning his second Australian Open title in a tough match against Alexander Zverev and after a demanding time in Melbourne, Sinner chose to rest instead of playing another hard week of tennis. In fact, some speculate that he might not be able to make it to Wimbledon – of course, for other serious concerns.

But now that the defending champ is out, anyone could win the title. Does Medvedev have a shot at title? Perhaps Alcaraz will step up to the plate and grab his chance? Or is this is Tsitsipas time to shine?