By Richard Pagliaro

Stefanos Tsitsipas has battled—and beaten—the Big 3.

The Australian Open semifinalist says the iconic trio will inspire NextGen rivalries.

More: Korda Conquers Cilic in Acapulco

Speaking to the media in Acapulco ahead of his opening-round match vs. Benoit Paire at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel Open, Tsitsipas said the Big 3 have expanded NextGen stars' perception of what's possible to achieve. 

"I think being part of the Big 3 era is a great experience, the things they've accomplished are a great example for us young people, which teaches us what we can accomplish on the ATP Tour," Tsitsipas said. "Also that we are surrounded by young tennis players with great talent and enthusiasm who want to leave their mark on the sport, I like to believe that I am one of them.

"We have players like Zverev, Shapovalov, de Miñaur, Tiafoe, Auger-Aliassime, a lot of players who offer a very large variety of personalities and charisma, we will have great duels in the present and future. I'm sure many of us will have Grand Slam and Masters 1000 opportunities to watch these players elevate the sport and mark an era."

Tsitsipas suggests these future rivalries may well come with a different spin thanks to social media, which he believes can be a connective cord between young stars and their supporters.

"Life was importantly changed by the emergence of social media. This has its positive and negative side," Tsitsipas said. "The positive thing is that we can promote our brand and identity by connecting with our fans to create a community that supports and follows us. It's definitely a big bonus for us young tennis players, something veterans didn't get a chance to connect with fans in this way, there wasn't much more than television and radio."

Still, living in the immediacy of the social media era, Tsitsipas recognizes maturing into major achievements can take time.

"We are less traditional than veteran tennis players, certain things have changed in recent years leaving aside many toxic things," Tsitsipas said. "But it's important to understand that there are times when traditional is the best option, such as reading books to educate yourself and acquiring knowledge to feel realized as a person.

"We are focused on getting everything right away and sometimes we forget to be patient, that will make a difference in who will dominate and set the trend. Patience is very important not only in tennis but in business and life."



Tsitsipas faces a tough road in Acapulco. Should he beat Paire in his opener, he would face John Isner with the winner of that match taking on either Auger-Aliassime or Sebastian Korda in the quarterfinals.

Photo credit: Abierto Mexicano de Tennis Facebook