Stefanos Tsitsipas will change into Greece’s first Grand Slam champion and a world primary if he wins the Australian Open last on Sunday — he could have his father to thank if he does. There usually are not many athletes whose careers and outlooks have been solid by near-death experiences, however the 24-year-old world quantity 4 is an exception. In 2015, whereas collaborating in a third-tier occasion in Crete, a teenage Tsitsipas and a buddy went swimming and nearly fatally misjudged the energy of the currents.

The two boys have been simply moments from being swept away till Tsitsipas’s father Apostolos, who can also be his coach, dived in to haul them to security.

“We couldn’t breathe, I felt awful to be inside the water and was terrified. I didn’t know how all this was going to end,” Tsitsipas as soon as recalled.

“My father saw us from afar and he jumped in, started swimming towards us and pushed us towards the beach. I was just a few breaths away from dying.

“If we have been purported to die and lose our lives that day, we must do it collectively. My father was a hero.

“That was the day I saw life with a different perspective. I remember after that how much psychologically it changed me.”

Tsitsipas shares the identical birthday as Pete Sampras — August 12 — and is studious, contemplative.

He speaks Greek, English and Russian, and has dabbled in Spanish and Chinese.

Sporting household

Sport is in his genes. Life-saving Apostolos is his coach whereas mom Julia Salnikova is an ex-tennis professional.

His grandfather, Sergei Salnikov, was a 1956 Olympic gold medallist in soccer enjoying for the Soviet Union.

Since turning professional in 2016, Tsitsipas’s profession has been on a steadily upward curve.

He was ranked 210 on this planet in his first season however was inside the highest 100 by the tip of 2017 and as excessive as 5 in 2018, the primary Greek to attain such a standing.

By the time he was 21 he had already swept wins over the game’s three greatest beasts — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Tsitsipas was the primary Greek man to win a tour title and has claimed 9 in complete, however a Grand Slam crown has remained elusive.

He hopes that can change when he faces Djokovic in Sunday’s Australian Open last. Victory would additionally make him world primary for the primary time.

His solely earlier main last was in 2021 when he got here agonisingly near the French Open crown, racing right into a two-set lead within the last over Djokovic earlier than the Serb mounted an epic comeback to assert victory.

His greatest win thus far got here whereas he was nonetheless 21. He captured the 2019 season-ending ATP Finals title, turning into the youngest champion since Lleyton Hewitt in 2001.

‘Very sensible’

Blond-haired and standing 6ft 4ins (1.93m) tall, Tsitsipas has lengthy been touted as a doable inheritor to Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.

He comes throughout as certainly one of tennis’s extra rounded gamers, however he will be feisty too.

He has developed an intriguing rivalry with Daniil Medvedev, one other arising quick behind the “Big Three”.

The Russian as soon as described Tsitsipas’s sport as “boring”.

Tsitsipas branded Medvedev an “(expletive) Russian” in a fiery encounter in Miami.

His Melbourne opponent Djokovic, no stranger to controversy himself, is a fan.

“He is a hard worker, dedicated, nice guy,” the Serb as soon as mentioned.

“He’s very smart and wise. I love the fact that he is more than just a tennis player and he’s always looking to learn from experience and to understand something new about himself.

“That’s the trait of a champion, of somebody who has nice potential to be primary on this planet and win Slams and be a terrific ambassador for the game.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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