Sizzling Stars: Tsitsipas' mindset leads to newfound success on clay

Deep Roland Garros runs are in the forecast for a few promising players that have proved themselves not only in 2021, but for quite some time. Sizzling Stars takes a closer look at these piping-hot competitors that are ready to serve up bagels and French baguettes in Paris.

Today, a look at Stefanos Tsitsipas, now 6-0 in sets through two rounds at Roland Garros.

With each season that passes, Stefanos Tsitsipas embraces the challenges he faces on red clay. To the Greek, barriers are meant to be leapt over and new territories discovered—in tennis and in life—and this mindset has served him extremely well on the game's slowest surface.

The next challenge? Roland Garros.

"I feel like I'm getting close," Tsitsipas told press ahead of his Madrid campaign. "I won't lie, it's something that has been in my mind. I don't think there's something wrong with it mainly because I've been working hard, I've been putting a lot of work in. I feel like that's my opportunity to do something different."

The Greek's tireless work ethic and eagerness to attain his goals is what makes him a strong contender in Paris. This sizzling star has been on fire in 2021 and his previous Roland Garros results indicate that an even deeper run is in the offing.

12-4 Record at Roland Garros

Counting his run through qualifying back in 2017, Tsitsipas owns a solid 12-4 record in Paris. Just as important, he's built on his previous year's progress with each passing season.

In his first Roland Garros appearance in 2017, Tsitsipas qualified but fell in his main-draw opener to Ivo Karlovic. In 2018, he jumped from world No. 205 to No. 39, and won his first main draw match at the clay-court Grand Slam before falling to Dominic Thiem in the second round.

From there, Tsitsipas' strides would get bigger as his game grew stronger. In 2019, reached the last 16. At last season's rescheduled event, it appeared he might take an opening-round exit when he trailed Jaume Munar by two sets. But after mounting a five-set comeback, Tsitsipas wouldn't drop a set en route to the semifinals. The deep run would end in a gritty five-set battle with No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic.

Masters 1000 Winner

Tsitsipas may have saved his best on clay for his 2021 debut on the surface, in Monte Carlo. He ran through an on-fire Aslan Karatsev, Cristian Garin, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Daniel Evans—and topped it off with a seamless 6-3, 6-3 victory over Andrey Rublev to take home his first Masters 1000 title.

His great mix of power and consistency especially from the forehand side makes him an extreme threat. He's not only willing to step into the court and capitalize, but he's also prepared to stay in the longer rallies—essential on the slower moving surface. The tournament win propelled him to the top spot in the ATP Race to Turin.

A telling encounter with Rafa

Fresh off capturing his first Masters 1000, Tsitsipas continued to dominate in Barcelona, again not dropping a set en route to the final round. Things changed as Rafael Nadal stood across the net in the Barcelona final, but it's critical to note that Tsitsipas wasn't dominated by the 13-time Roland Garros champion.

Tsitsipas—who defeated Nadal earlier this season at the Australian Open from two sets down—dug deep to save two match points and pushed things to a deciding set. The majority of the final set was serve-dominated and hardly any free points were handed out from the Greek. Nadal was made to play three hours 38 minutes to grab the win.

If a player can make the Spaniard earn each point on the dirt, it's certainly says a lot, even in defeat.

Considering all the above, could this sizzling star go further than ever before, and into his first Roland Garros final?