Tsitsipas Showing Signs He Can Become New Master of Clay

What is Stefanos Tsitsipas’ best surface? The man himself once claimed that he has a preference for the grass of Wimbledon. And his two Semi-Finals at the Australian Open suggests he has no problem on the hard courts in the searing heat; that 2019 ATP Finals win also tells you indoor hard courts are no problem either. But there is perhaps a growing sense that Tsitsipas excels on clay most of all. As he once said, “I feel very confident when I step on the dirt. I always show my best tennis on this surface.”.

That “best tennis” has been on show this spring, with the world number winning the Monte-Carlo Masters and reaching the Final of the Barcelona Open last weekend. Despite the loss in Barcelona, it was his strong performance against Rafael Nadal that probably says more about Tsitsipas’ taste for the clay than the victory a week earlier. Nadal, the undisputed king of clay, had to dig very deep to defeat the 22-year-old challenger in three sets.

There is a lot of tennis to be played before the French Open gets underway on 24th May, but one wonders whether Tsitsipas should be a little closer to Nadal in the odds. 888 sport’s tennis betting markets give Nadal odds of 5/6, which is more than understandable for the 13-time winner. But Tsitsipas price of 8/1 looks a little long in betting terms. At the very least, the Greek youngster will be expected to emulate his Semi-Final run of 2020, and perhaps go one better by reaching a first Grand Slam Semi-Final.

Beyond looking at which surface he prefers, it’s clear that Tsitsipas’ form has picked up even more in 2021. He leads the FedEx Race to Turin standings so far this season, and he boasts a win percentage of 81%. That’s up from previous seasons where it was usually somewhere in the 60s. Sure, there is a long way to go, but it should inspire confidence in fans of the Greek. Moreover, Tsitsipas is the youngest player currently in the world’s top 10 – there is a sense that he can improve further.

Of course, it’s all a bit premature to be talking about dislodging Nadal as the best clay-courter in men’s tennis. The Spaniard is showing little sign of slowing down despite the fact he will be 35 in June. But if there is a likely candidate to take over that mantle when Nadal finally releases his grip on the clay, few should bet against the young Greek player.

So, how does his clay performance rank? As mentioned, it is early in the season, but Tsitsipas has a handsome record of 9-1 on clay this year. In 2020, it was 11-3, and 15-5 in 2019. Overall, his win record on clay is around 73% - much higher than hard court (64%) and grass (53%). There is little chance that he could match Nadal’s all-time win percentage on clay (91.6%), but a little improvement, which Tsitsipas surely has the scope to do, could see him at the level of Novak Djokovic (80%) on the dirt.

Much of this is speculation, of course. There is a long list of young players down the years who showed promise as Tsitsipas is doing now, and they did not crack the code to being a consistent Grand Slam champion. But some early signs are pointing to the French Open being the tournament ripe for Tsitsipas to break his duck, although he might have to dislodge the greatest ever clay court player to do that.