Though he’s just 27, Stefanos Tsitsipas’ all-court game has earned him the resume of a tennis legend. The Greek player has won twelve ATP Tour singles titles, including three Master’s 1000 titles, and contested two major finals: the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open.
Yet Tsitsipas is just as captivating off the court. Taking advantage of a tennis player’s packed itinerary, Tsitsipas regularly records videos across the globe — including stops in Namibia, São Miguel, and Marbella — and these endearing travel vlogs have garnered 453,000 YouTube subscribers. And, aside from videography, Tsitsipas tells us he keeps busy with gallery visits and beach volleyball.
To learn more about the tennis player’s off-court routine, SHARP sat down with Tsitsipas for a quick conversation: read the full Q&A below.
How has your self-care/nutrition/off-court wellness routine evolved since your career first began?
I’m using natural products, Greek products, both for my body and hair. I am working with a brand that is very natural and organic, so I’m excited about that because it helps me in my health and well-being. I’m taking good care of my diet, and I indulge in sweet Greek desserts from time to time.
Did you have goals heading into this year? How have they changed from past seasons?
They’ve been adapted. They’ve been more realistic. Like, talking about my back injury, I think it’s tough to aim big because you don’t know when you’re gonna play. I’ve started being more realistic with what I can achieve, to start from, after a long injury. I’ve been trying to deliver that goal of mine, little by little.
[Otherwise], my goal would definitely be seeing myself again in the Grand Slam final. I’d like to see myself fight for Grand Slam titles, and it would be amazing to go deep in the Masters 1000 tournament this year and get the joy, the glory, of a Masters 1000.
“Practice is not always for improving, in my opinion; it also enables you to maintain your shots, maintain your biggest weapons, and have them properly calibrated.”Stefanos Tsitsipas
One of the unique challenges of the sport is the adjustment to international travel. What travel tips have you picked up throughout your career?
Always travel with melatonin. Jet lag can really be rough to deal with. Eye masks, priority traveling — always make sure you take your health and well-being into consideration when you travel from continent to continent.
Recovery is very important for me — knowing when to recover and knowing when to rest — but also putting in the extra hours at work in order to see improvements. And, if you’re not seeing improvements, I think [practice] keeps you aware of the best things that you’re currently feeling on court. Practice is not always for improving, in my opinion; it also enables you to maintain your shots, maintain your biggest weapons, and have them properly calibrated.
I love that answer. Do you have a specific sleep practice that helps you stay on track throughout a whirlwind tour schedule?
10 hours of sleep is important. Then, I love to have [chamomile] with honey before I go to bed. I find it very useful to help me relax and disconnect and start getting into sleep mode. I enjoy a lot of David Dobrik videos that helps you sleep — or, well, it helps me relax [and] laugh, ’cause some of them are really funny. It makes me disconnect, laugh a little bit, and helps me get in the right sort of relaxed mood before bed.
I love that. In your rare time off during the tour, what interests do you take up?
Lately museums. I do museums and historical sites.
Any favourites?
So, recently I was at the National Gallery of Greece, like 5 days ago. I like Prado Museum in Madrid.
Certain places offer certain things, like New York — I love the food scene in New York, so if I’m not competing or if I’m not playing, I’m just exploring New York: cool shops, cool boutiques, food, different foods and stands and delis. Stuff like that. I wanna explore stuff that I don’t have in my city and see what these cities can offer. I’m always open minded to new things.
Another thing that recently became a passion and [something] I really enjoy doing is playing beach volleyball with my friends. I do that in my free time.
“If you get to play [beach volleyball] in the right conditions — with the right sand and the right group of people — you can stay on the court for hours. I could see myself getting into that field if I wasn’t playing tennis.”Stefanos Tsitsipas
Are you good?
Pretty good, yes.
Okay, we need to see some videos of this. As a photographer, which cities on tour are your favorite to shoot?
New York City, I love that place. Tokyo, great photos from there; Los Angeles, I’ve [found] some good places there. And my all-time favourite to capture — my own culture — is Athens. I think it’s so chaotically beautiful, Athens: so much chaos and so much action from different parts of Athens that you can capture. I feel like there are endless opportunities for me to go capture [photos] and tell different stories.
Are there any particular tournaments that you have an affection for? Which ones and why?
I love my Japanese fans a lot. They’ve been giving me a lot of gifts when I’m there, and they’ve been really kind to me and respectful. They carry a different type of culture when it comes to tennis, and I’ve always felt loved and appreciated when visiting Japan. [I’ve] never had a chance to visit South America, but I’ve heard I’ve got some passionate fans over there.
I also love receiving the support at the French Open. Despite not being a Parisian or French player, I feel like French people have always supported me at the French Open. They’ve always showed love for my game, for the way I decide to play, my style of tennis. Of course, I always feel like at home when I’m in Melbourne because of the Greek community. I feel like it matches the lifestyle and just the overall vibe of when I’m home in Greece.
I love that. Aside from photography, I know film is a major interest for you. What film character or actor do you believe best embodies your on-court personality?
My on-court personality? I don’t know. Bradley Cooper, probably. He’s got a unique style; I can resonate with him. If someone was to play me in a movie, I would pick him. I also enjoy The Hangover movies — like, I’ve watched all of them — and his style during The Hangover would be my style doing movies.
Last question: if you weren’t playing tennis, what would you want to pursue professionally?
I played so much beach volleyball that I fell in love with the sport. I never knew it was so much fun to play, especially in the right conditions. If you get to play it in the right conditions — with the right sand and the right group of people — you can stay on the court for hours. I could see myself getting into that field if I wasn’t playing tennis. But I would definitely be exploring that later in life.
Otherwise, I’d be very passionate about creating a company of mine, with productions and media and arts and galleries and stuff like that. I feel like that’s my niche that I would thrive in.
This transcript has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
