“Everything about how I play is from my mum.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas is in no doubt about the influence that his mother, former WTA pro Julia Apostoli, has had on his rise to the top of the game. Not just in terms of raising him and supporting him courtside since he was a junior, but also directly influencing the fundamentals of his game.
“Single-handed backhand, serve and volley sometimes, it’s from my mum,” the nine-time tour-level titlist told ATPTour.com this week. “My mum was a very aggressive player. Nowadays you don’t see many women with a single-handed backhand, but she had a beautiful one, it was her best stroke that she used very effectively. It’s something I consider a strength of mine as well. She has taught me so much about that particular shot and she gives me advice on the net game as well.”
This week in Perth, Tsitsipas has spearheaded Team Greece’s United Cup campaign alongside another Top 10 star who grew up as the child of a tennis player, WTA No. 6 Maria Sakkari. Her mother Angeliki Kanellopoulou reached a career-high No. 43 in the WTA Rankings in 1987.
“I think it’s very special that we [Stef and I] are two very good players and both have very special mums,” said Sakkari. “For us, it’s an inspiration having two very powerful women in our lives and supporting us.
“She always tells me to enjoy it because a tennis career is very short. Towards the end of your career, you realise that you should’ve enjoyed it more, so that’s what she’s trying to teach me. I think I have been doing well lately, enjoying my time on the Tour.”
Apostoli and Kanellopoulou, who know each other well, are regular presences in Tsitsipas and Sakkari’s respective team boxes on Tour, and both are happy to discuss their own experiences of playing professionally if it helps guide their children through their own careers.
“It’s very helpful to have someone who has played at the professional level,” said Sakkari. “They can really understand all these emotions we feel on the court and obviously teach us a lot of things and tell us their opinions. The main thing is having their support because they know exactly how we feel on the court. If I struggle, I can ask my mum for advice, which is very helpful.”
“She has instilled in me the discipline,” added Tsitsipas of Apostoli. “She hasn’t been easy with me, and I think that’s for a reason, to make me grow up stronger. She’s also a very…
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