“Relieved”: Stefanos Tsitsipas Speaks Out After Overtaking Roger Federer in ATP Rankings

World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas began his 2021 campaign on a good note. He competed at the Australian Open and matched his previous best record at the venue, reaching the semifinal. During his run, the Greek sensation overcame an impossible hurdle. He beat Rafael Nadal, after being two sets down, and won the next three. 

Recently, Stefanos Tsitsipas achieved yet another milestone by overtaking Roger Federer and claiming the fifth spot in the ATP rankings. After doing that, the Australian Open semifinalist felt a sense of relief, although he senses that he may not be able to hold on to his spot as the Swiss maestro has returned after a 13-month break. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas says it freaked him out to overtake Roger Federer 

The 22-year-old spoke on this subject and said, “It’s really up to us to improve in the standings and we had all sorts of opportunities to do so in the last couple of months that Federer hasn’t played. In fact, I’m relatively relieved to have been able to pass him after playing for so long, it freaked me out (laughs), but it might not last long.”

(Quotes have been translated with Google Translate)

Tsitsipas is currently in Acapulco, preparing for the Mexico Open 2021. He is the top seed at the event and will play his opening round match against French tennis player Benoit Paire. It will be his first appearance as an established player on the ATP men’s Tour. Prior to that, Stefanos competed at the venue as a junior-level player. 

After the tournament in Acapulco, the Greek ace will shift his focus to the first Masters 1000 of the season at the Miami Open 2021. The event was canceled last year in wake of the coronavirus global pandemic. 

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