“Gene From My Mother”: Stefanos Tsitsipas On Developing Interest To Be a Sports Journalist

There is still a lot to discover about the 22-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. But one thing is certain now that if not a tennis player, he would have been a sports journalist. Surprising as it may be, the highest-ranked Greek player became fond of reporting as early as an 11year-old. Currently, World No. 6 is in London defending his ATP Finals title.

Born in a tennis surrounding, Tsitsipas took on the family tradition since the age of three. His father, Apostolos, is a tennis coach, and his mother Julia Apostoli is a former WTA professional player.

“I would write in matches and scores”- Stefanos Tsitsipas

Even with financial difficulties at home, the London champion remained keen on learning and getting better at a young age. What most people do in free time, the Greek player did the same with a purpose to grow. Tsitsipas said, “I had a Facebook page when I was 11, 12 years old where I would write in matches and scores. I really liked it.”

After 2018’s success – finals in Canada and Barcelona, Tsitsipas has never left the Top 10. The same year, he also won the ATP Next Generation Finals – a competition of players 20 and under. While he was growing as a tennis player, his passion for journalism continued to grow too.

“I learned from my mother”: Tsitsipas

Similar to tennis, the 22-year-old Stefanos inherited another passion from his family. But in this regard, the skill came to him exclusively from his mother.

“I think I took this gene from my mother. She was also a sports journalist working in tennis. I learned from her.”

Apart from tennis and journalism, Tsitsipas also runs a YouTube channel and owns a podcast, ‘A Greek Abroad’. Apparently, it is creative intelligence that drives him to keep trying newer things in life.

On the subject of tennis, Tsitsipas has a big test against World No. 2 Rafael Nadal to qualify for the semi-finals. Nadal, who is title-less in the year-end championships, will look to pass the Greek test at any cost. All in all, the contest will not be easy as the winner will go ahead and the other will go home.

Also Read: Nitto ATP Finals 2020: Rafael Nadal vs Stefanos Tsitsipas Preview, Head-to-Head & Prediction