Michigan State men’s tennis redshirt freshman Aristotelis Thanos has yet to play for the Spartans, but the Athens native is already a familiar face in Greek tennis. Thanos earned his fourth selection to the Greek Davis Cup team for its World Group 1 tie against Slovakia in Athens on Sept. 16-17.
Thanos was on the Greek squad in draws against Jamaica, Tunisia and Ecuador. He did not play against Slovakia, but has won two Davis Cup matches. Thanos beat top-600 ranked Andres Andrade in Greece’s win over Ecuador in the World Group 1 Playoff in February.
“Representing is a unique feeling. I’m loving it,” Thanos, 22, said. “Being in Greece, and playing in Greece, it’s really probably my favorite feeling.”
The Davis Cup is the top international team competition in men’s tennis. Over 140 countries compete in the tournament every year. Thanos is the first player from MSU to ever play in the Davis Cup.
“It’s a really cool experience for him. He’s playing in front of 20,000 fans,” Michigan State Head Coach Harry Jadun said. “It’s a big deal. Televised internationally, and he’s playing with one of the best players in the world in Stefanos Tsitsipas.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the world’s No. 5-ranked player, headlined the Greek squad. The team relied heavily on Tsitsipas against Slovakia, asking him to play back-to-back matches on the second day of the competition. Tsitsipas grew fatigued and lost both matches, as Slovakia won 3-1 and advanced to the Davis Cup World Qualifiers.
Thanos described Tsitsipas’ influence on the team as being a leader by example.
“He gives a lot to the team. He’s a really, really generous person,” Thanos said. “He wants everyone to learn from him.”
The Davis Cup tie took place at the historic Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece, the first tennis matches held at the venue that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The world’s only all-marble stadium is one of Athens’ most famous tourist attractions.
“The whole thing is like 20 minutes from my house,” Thanos said.
While home in Athens, Thanos had just a few hours to see family and friends. Most of his time was spent practicing with the team and helping them prepare for the weekend’s matches.
Playing for his country in the Davis Cup was something Thanos envisioned early in his tennis career. He first represented Greece at…
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