Returning to the Australian Open as a reigning finalist, Stefanos Tsitsipas is determined to improve again at his favourite Grand Slam in 2024.
The 25-year-old is searching for his maiden Grand Slam title, and if he was to capture any major next year, the AO would be the heavily favoured location.
With strong Australian-Greek support on his side there are many reasons why this could be Tsitsipas’ breakthrough moment.
TICKETS: Support Stefanos Tsitsipas at AO 2024
Of his six career Grand Slam semifinal appearances, four have come at the Australian Open, including his breakthrough run in 2019.
In an interview on this week’s episode of The AO Show podcast, Tsitsipas spoke about how happy he is to return to the event where he has achieved his greatest success so far.
“(Australia) is one of my favourite destinations, my ‘home slam’ is located there,” the world No.6 explained.
“Extraordinary country that offers so much beauty outside and on the court, as well.
“I always associate Australia with great fans because I do get a lot of great support down there and it’s a lot of fun to be performing in cities around the country.”
A mainstay in the ATP top 10 since March 2019, Tsitsipas has been progressing consistently deep at majors for years.
But the Greek is aware that there is work to do, with a fierce men’s singles field standing in his way.
“Right now, we have a lot of great players on the tour playing a lot of great tennis,” Tsitsipas said. “That is probably the most challenging period of my tennis career so far, to find ways to beat those guys, to find ways to pass them in the rankings.”
Tsitsipas concedes Novak Djokovic still poses a problem for the next generation of Grand Slam contenders, including himself.
After falling victim to Djokovic in last year’s final as the Serbian hoisted his 10th trophy at Melbourne Park, Tsitsipas is determined to make 2024 his turn.
“Maybe also show our real potential, finally, once, all I’m asking is just once,” Tsitsipas joked about the younger chasing pack. “I hope we can just find a way to get there and start owning our own zone.”
Tsitsipas hopes he can use the beginning of the calendar year as a mental reset, and Australia is the perfect place for him to do that.
RELATED: Australian summer of tennis calendar set for 2024
“Every single year is a new opportunity for me to start fresh, my eyes are always on how I can do more,” he said.
“The very first time I visited Australia I got an understanding of just how warm and nice people are there, but also the Greek community, let’s not forget about them, they’re so vibrant and so intense, they bring so much energy every single year.
“It always has a special place in my heart visiting Australia.”