By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday December 14, 2021
Stefanos Tsitsipas tells the press he is making a smooth recovery from off-season elbow surgery, and plans to take his place at the top of the game in 2022.
“My elbow is fantastic," Tsitsipas said during an appearance on Greek TV channel ANT1. "I am sure I will be 100% back. The goal is definitely to go even higher. I hope the preparation goes well and that the new year will be three times better than this season."
Tsitsipas fell short of his self-proclaimed goal of finishing inside the ATP’s Top-3 in 2021, but he ticked new levels in his career by reaching his first Grand Slam final at Roland-Garros, where he held a two sets to love lead over Novak Djokovic before falling in the final, and at Monte-Carlo, where he won his maiden Masters 1000 title by defeating Andrey Rublev in the final.
Tsitsipas closed the books on his 2021 season with a 55-19 record and a pair of titles to his name. Though he finished at No.4 in the world, he did temporarily reach a career-high ranking of No.3.
Tsitsipas also held a match point at the Barcelona final against Rafael Nadal before falling.
“Things often get tougher before they get easier, but with each struggle we get an opportunity to create our own unique story,” wrote 23-year-old Tsitsipas, in his Facebook post from a Swiss hospital bed in November, after having the surgery. “Some days life is all about your dreams, hopes and visions for the future. There are also days where life is just about putting one foot in front of the other and that’s okay too.”
The Greek star is slated to begin his 2022 campaign at the ATP Cup, which begins on January 1 in Sydney, Australia.