Laver Cup: tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas – sport

And there it is, the first joke before the Laver Cup. The continental tennis match, which is more of a third-rate sport, draws its charm from exciting insights into the players’ heads, for example when they debate with each other when changing sides; and from the rivalry (somewhat constructed based on the Ryder Cup in golf) between players from Europe and the rest of the world – a little bit of tinder before the start on Friday in Boston cannot hurt, if only for marketing reasons.

Well, and that’s interesting: it’s not the old rivals Björn Borg (coach Europe) and John McEnroe (team world) and it’s not the Australian Nick Kyrgios mob against a possible opponent, but: Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) blasphemed against teammate Daniil Medvedev (Russia).

The Europeans are highly favored, even without the big three (Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal) they send the world number two to six (Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrej Rublew and Matteo Berrettini) plus Casper Ruud (rank ten) Run. With Kyrgios (95), Denis Shapovalov (twelve), Diego Schwartzman (15), Felix Auger-Alliassime (eleven) and the Americans Reilly Opelka (19) and John Isner (22), the world selection is only outsiders – also because of the format: There are three singles and one doubles on each of the three tournament days; on Friday for one, on Saturday for two and on Sunday for three points each. It is said that Team Europe can only beat itself if, for example, it tears itself to pieces because some of the protagonists really can’t stand each other.

Tsitsipas taunts his teammate Medvedev: “I’m surprised that he is so successful with this style of play.”

“I wouldn’t say that his game is boring – rather one-dimensional,” Tsitsipas told the TV broadcaster Ant1: “I am surprised that he is so successful with this style of play.” As a reminder: Medvedev has just won the US Open and only given one set, in the final he defeated Novak Djokovic, who is considered invincible, with a playful, tactical and mental masterpiece. So: Has Tsitsipas gone nuts – or is he just deliberately trying to become the most unpopular professional on the men’s tour? He is definitely on his way to the hermit right now.

Opponents from their own team: US Open winners Daniil Medwedew and Alexander Zverev didn’t have much nice things to say about Stefanos Tsitsipas recently.

(Photo: Adam Glanzman / AFP)

His own US Open was disastrous: In the first round, Andy Murray complained about one of Tsitsipas’ extensive toilet visits. A debate arose about the regulations, but also about the fair play of Tsitsipas: Does it just take a long time to move? Does he want to get the opponent out of the rhythm, does he even talk to Father Apostolos on his mobile phone, as suggested by Zverev, for example?

Interesting: The Greek didn’t care about the opponents’ allegations – he said of Murray: “My opponent’s feelings are not really my priority out there on the pitch.” And about Zverev: “That already says something about the level of the person.”

The feud with Medvedev has been going on for three years – since Tsitsipas called him a “bullshit russian”

He only got defensive when he noticed that the New Yorkers no longer saw him as the cool hipster he loved to play, but as an unsporting and unfriendly guy who insulted the referee (at the 2019 US Open he called Damien Dumusois a ” Crazy – because you’re probably French “), disrespectful to ball kids and arguing with opponents. The feud with Medvedev has been going on for three years since Tsitsipas called him a “bullshit russian” in Miami. Since then, the relationship has been hypothermic, although the parents are good friends (Tsitsipas’ mother is Russian) and Medvedev usually reacts sarcastically and calmly when he is asked about Tsitsipas. The record against the Greeks: 6: 2.

It is probably exactly what annoys Tsitsipas so colossally: Technically, as Kyrgios says, he is “polished”, so without any flaws, it is tennis out of the textbook. How can he lose to someone like Medvedev, who whips his forehand while rotating? Against Berrettini with that backhand slice? Against Zverev, who struggles with the serve every now and then? Especially at big tournaments? In Australia he lost straight to Medvedev, in Paris he gave a 2-0 lead in the final against the physically and mentally stronger Djokovic, in Wimbledon he failed in round one against the wild American Frances Tiafoe and in the Cincinnati final against Zverev.

At the recent US Open, he no longer looked like the laid-back, long-haired teenager he was known as a few years ago. He looked: dogged, annoyed. “They are no better than me,” he said about the missing Grand Slam title. He is 23 years old and the triumph of Medvedev obviously weighs on him: “They only did better at the tournaments.” In New York he lost to 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who played carefree, while Tsitsipas, also intimidated by the audience, was completely tense.

A look behind the scenes is allowed: the Laver Cup shows interactions in the catacombs and when changing sides

Tennis lives from the fact that highly neurotic rivals want to steal the other tournament victories – the mano-à-mano duel on the court is only made more interesting by squabbling away from it. But: Is Tsitsipas really doing himself a favor by blaspheming the US Open winner before this fun team event? Something like that is more of a sign of weakness, and someone like Medvedev, for whom tennis is at least as psychological as it is physical, should register this with a mischievous, sarcastic grin.

The way the European players interact with one another should be at least as gripping as the games themselves – at the Laver Cup, interactions in the catacombs and when changing sides are shown. What will Zverev and Medvedev whisper to him, and will Tsitsipas dismiss something like that as one-dimensional? The duel between Europe and the world may not be particularly exciting in terms of sport, but it should still be dramatic.

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