Stefanos Tsitsipas celebrated the “tribe” of one-handed backhand players as he looks to join Grigor Dimitrov in the top 10.
Both players are linked by their highest rankings of No. 3 in the world, and also because they are both adept at the one-handed backhand shot, with most players now favouring a two-handed grip.
Speaking to Eurosport at the Monte Carlo Masters, Tsitsipas discussed his part in keeping the shot alive.
He said: “I do have a responsibility. You know how happy I was for Grigor last week because I now feel like we’re part of the same tribe.
“I never felt like joining a cult, but I suddenly feel like we’re doing this together somehow.
“So, go Grigor, I knew I was happy to see him back in the top 10, he deserves it.
“He’s been playing great tennis and, you know, he’s a great guy.”
Tsitsipas was asked about his own struggles, but suggested that there is less weight on his shoulders now that he no longer has to maintain a spot in the top 10.
“It is less pressure for sure,” he began. “I mean, you know, I’ve been used to a certain standard and a certain way the last few years. I won’t lie, it has spoiled me a little bit because at times I felt like it might have come, let’s say, slightly different than I would have expected it.
“And now, you know, it’s good to have those relapses.
“They teach you a lot and I’m hoping to find my path back to where I was before to join again, the top 10.
“But currently less pressure. I just accept it.”
With the emergence of younger players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, he added that the margins for error are becoming smaller at the top of men’s tennis with the quality of competition getting more intense.
He said: “It’s not gonna be any easier in the next few years. It’s actually going to get harder because the margins are closing in, in terms of players.
“There’s so many good players now, we’ve never seen so many players gathered in one corner all together, pushing each other non-stop.
“So this is going to become much more demanding for players that are in the top 10 to sustain their level and be there.
“And I’m seeing this right now, so, you know, for me, it’s just extra work and trying to figure it out, figure out what they’ve been doing.”