Tsitsipas, on the Dawn of the Clay Season: "My Goal Is to Give My Best"

Stefanos Tsitsipas has had a relatively disappointing start to the 2025 season so far, despite winning a title in Dubai.

This week in Monte-Carlo, the Greek has a lot at stake as he defends his title.

But the clay season is likely the best time of the year for him.

He opens up: "It's a pleasure to be in Monte-Carlo. I enjoy living here, and it was the first tournament I attended when I was young.

The classic Nadal-Federer finals I got to witness were some of the most spectacular moments of my life.

Being a champion here brings me immense joy, and I want to leave a legacy.

My goal is to give my absolute best in every clay tournament. I started well here and in Barcelona last year, but I didn’t reach the level I wanted in the other tournaments.

I played well at times, but I also made mistakes, which I’ve learned from. I want to come back and try to improve my consistency on clay and maximize my points.

The quarterfinals at Roland-Garros last year were a decent result (losing to Carlos Alcaraz), but not what I was used to.

I feel my game has the potential to be even better."

Tsitsipas has a bye in Monte-Carlo and will face the winner of the match between Jordan Thompson and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the second round.