Stefanos Tsitsipas reaches semifinals at Citi Open, craving for more

WASHINGTON — After Stefanos Tsitsipas bowed out of the first round at Wimbledon last month, a rare early exit for the 20-year-old, he took some time to reset.

He spent the better part of three days “locked” in his London hotel room, most of the time reading a biography about Roger Federer. While he watched some highlights of his match, he opted not to put too much stock into the loss against No. 82 Thomas Fabbiano.

Then, Tsitsipas embarked on a two-week vacation, flushing the events at the All England Club before arriving in Washington, D.C. for the Citi Open as the No. 1 seed.

“That was very important to refuel,” Tsitsipas said, “recharge my batteries coming in here.”

Now, for the second straight year, Tsitsipas has booked a ticket into the semifinals at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. But in that one calendar year, Tsitsipas has seen tremendous growth on the court, both technically and mentally.

He didn’t let his Wimbledon setback carry into the Citi Open. He didn’t let any frustration from a tight Round of 16 match beleaguer him in the quarterfinals. And he didn’t let his third broken shoe lace of the tournament quell his mid-match momentum Friday. He defeated Benoit Paire, 7-5, 6-0, to become the No. 5-ranked player in the world, Tsitsipas’ career high.

“Once you’re in a certain position for a long time, you really crave for more,” Tsitsipas said. “This one position difference might not feel a lot for some people. But for me, it really means a lot, because there has been a lot of hard work behind it, and just a lot of suffering in general.”

At the start of the 2018 Citi Open, Tsitsipas ranked No. 32. He had still played in two Challenger Tour events that year — the second tier of professional tennis — before his semifinal loss to Alexander Zverev in D.C.

But Tsitsipas credits his extensive Challenger Tour experience with helping him burst on the ATP scene. After the Citi Open, he went to the Canadian Open and beat Novak Djokovic, Zverev and Kevin Anderson before falling to Rafael Nadal in the final. He won his first ATP title later that year and has captured two more titles in 2019.

Tsitsipas defeated Federer at the Australian Open, a match Tsitsipas’ semifinal opponent Nick Kyrgios remembers watching on TV. It’s those marquee matchups that help get the Greek “pumped.”

“I was very hungry, very excited to see what’s lying ahead,” Tsitsipas said. “I was very, very motivated to make that transition.”

When asked about what parts of his game have improved most in the last year, Tsitsipas paused before saying it was his serving and patience. And while his continual improvement with his serve can be seen in the uptick in velocity off his racket, his improved patience can be harder to pinpoint.

Tsitsipas pointed to a willingness to continue a rally, setting up better finishing shots later, rather than going for a more difficult shot earlier. He’s learned to focus on how much power he puts on each swing, not feeling the need to crush each attempt, but poking holes in an opponent’s defense with an array of shots.

That composure has helped him put together an impressive run at the Citi Open, one that will continue with a semifinal match against Kyrgios on Saturday.

“He’s one of the best players in the world right now,” Kyrgios said. “He’s going to have an amazing career, and he’s already done some amazing things.”