Tsitsipas sees his confidence grow following strong AO start

Stefanos Tsitsipas kicked off his Australian Open campaign by smashing Gilles Simon in straight sets and it gave the Greek a confidence boost.

Starting the season off well for Tsitsipas is something he always highlights as important and after some solid play at the ATP Cup, he transferred it to the Australian Open. His first match and the easiness with which he won gave him a confidence boost that he needed. He admitted to not feeling at peak form yet:

"Starting a Grand Slam can be stressful sometimes. You don’t know what to expect, you don’t know what shape you are [in]. I played a few matches at the ATP Cup. It doesn’t really determine if I am [in] top shape. I felt like I needed more matches."

He also spoke how playing matches like this gives him confidence which is a key component of his overall game:

“The more matches I get, I think contributes a lot to my confidence and I think confidence has made me win a lot of matches. Without it, I don’t know where I would be. I see [confidence] as something that I need, as an additive to my game and something that is going to contribute to a lot of important victories for my career.”

Immediately after the match he was asked about the level of his game to which he said:

“My level is good so far. I feel good with my service games and I think I am returning really well. I have a clear picture of where I want to return and start the point, so I think I get the upper hand from the very beginning of the rally, which gives me a lot of confidence."

His next opponent will be Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis which should make for an interesting match. On the match Stefanos said:

"We have played a lot. We have practised a lot. I have known him for years. He has struggled with injuries in the past and now he is back. I feel like he is playing well. It is a serious match."