Tsitsipas win 'huge' due to poor record against 'Next Gen' players according to Wilander: "I think it’s really important he stamped his authority on this"

Mats Wilander believes it was crucial for Tsitsipas to win this matchup against a very tough young players, especially with his poor track record.

Tsitsipas doesn't have the best record against the youngest players on tour. His main issue is with the aggressive nature of their play, something he's not that used to. The game has indeed become very quick and attacking and there is less and less tactics which is the part he enjoys. For Wilander, this win is a huge one:

“Really strong effort from Tsitsipas, and mentally a really strong effort as he lost the last time he played Alcaraz and lost the last two times he’s played Rune. I think it’s really important he stamped his authority on this, ‘I have to beat these guys, they are younger than me and they are going to take away the chance to win my first slam’. So just the fact he beat this up-and-coming guy, is huge for Tsitsipas as No. 3 seed.”

Up next for Tsitsipas will be Jiri Lehecka, another young player who is having a superb event. It's a match, Tsitsipas will be favoured to win and Wilander looked at it:

“He [Lehecka] plays not too dissimilar to Jannik Sinner. He's a great ball striker and it's not going to be that easy for Tsitsipas to hurt Lehecka. He moves extremely well. He’s most probably going to be the one that's going to try and be the most aggressive, so it's going to be up to Stefanos' problem-solving skills, which he showed against Sinner that they were absolutely brilliant in that fifth set.