Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas revealed in an interview with Marion Bartoli some interesting details about their relationship, including who initiated the first kiss and who said “I love you” first, among other things.
The couple started dating in May 2023 and is celebrating their first Valentine’s Day as a public couple. Both tennis players participated in a video where they answered questions with closed eyes, sharing intriguing details about their relationship.
This week, Badosa took part in the Qatar Open and delivered a strong performance in the first round against Ashlyn Krueger (6-3, 4-6, 6-4) before falling in the second round to former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez (6-0, 2-6, 3-6).
Her boyfriend, Stefanos Tsitsipas, was seen supporting her from the stands, and together they took part in an interview with former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, revealing amusing details about their relationship:
Bartoli: “Who send the first message?”
Badosa “Him,” the Spaniard laughingly said.
Tsitsipas: “Rome – second round against Ons Jabeur. I remember the message clearly. I said, clinical, great tennis out there, what else…”
Badosa: “Like, [he said] amazing performance. And I just finished the match and I saw it, and I was like, ‘Paula, wait for an hour, play it tough.’ Five minutes and I replied,” she laughed. “Very weak.”
In another moment of the interview, Bartoli asked, “Who said I love you first?” and quickly, Badosa pointed her finger at Tsitsipas, saying, “Him.” The Greek former world No. 3 accepted that he made the first move and said, “I did.”
Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic said a confrontation with a spectator was the spark he “needed” to hold off Alexei Popyrin and avoid a shock second-round exit.
Djokovic, chasing a record-extending 11th men’s title in Melbourne, looked far from his best in the four-set win.
The Serb told one spectator to “come down and tell it to my face” during the fourth set after repeated heckling.
“Maybe that was needed for me to be shaken up a bit,” said Djokovic, 36.
The world number one said he did not “want to be in those types of situations” but added the incident helped him to “start to find the kind of intensity on the court” that was required for him to see out a 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory.
The inspired Popyrin, ranked 43rd, entertained the partisan home crowd as he won the second set to level the match before losing a pivotal third set in a tie-break after failing to capitalise on four set points.
With the fourth set level at 2-2, Djokovic – who admitted he felt “flat emotionally” – said he engaged with the fan because his patience had run out after “a lot of things” were shouted at him during the match.
“There was a lot of things that were being told to me on the court, particularly from that corner, and the same side in the other corner.
“I was tolerating it for most of the match. At one point I had enough, and I asked him whether he wanted to come down and tell it to my face.
“He didn’t have the courage to come down. That’s what I was asking him. If you have courage, if you’re such a tough guy, come down and tell it to my face, and let’s have a discussion about it.
“He was apologizing from far away. That’s all it is.”
Djokovic finds a way
Djokovic came through the longest first-round Grand Slam match of his career against teenage qualifier Dino Prizmic on Sunday, playing for four hours and one minute.
The early stages of his second match of the tournament suggested it would be a much quicker encounter for the Serb, who took 38 minutes to claim the opener after sealing the decisive break with a stunning cross-court winner to go 5-3 up before consolidating.
However, Popyrin – the world number 43 – proved to be a bigger threat than rankings suggested.
Having gone a break up in the fourth game, Popyrin missed the chance to serve out the second set, but he redeemed himself in front of his home fans with a sensational lob to break at 5-4 and level the match.
Djokovic survived four set points before racing through the tie-break to close out a dramatic third set and put himself in the driving seat.
And, after confrontating the heckler in the stands, the 24-time major winner thrived on the crowd’s hostility to break for a 4-2 lead. Missing out on four match points, he claimed victory with the fifth as the clock struck midnight at Melbourne Park.
“I don’t think I played at the highest level,” Djokovic said. “I didn’t do anything special – he was a better player for a set and a half. Things changed around and the momentum shifted in the tie-break.”
Djokovic will face Tomas Martin Etcheverry next after the Argentine 30th seed, who conquered Andy Murray in straight sets on Monday, won 6-4 6-4 6-4 against Gael Monfils.
Sinner working on ‘Baywatch’ physique
Sinner has never gone further than the quarter-finals at the Australian Open
Italian fourth seed Jannik Sinner stormed into the third round with a dominant win against Jesper de Jong.
The 22-year-old needed just 103 minutes to thrash the Dutch qualifier 6-2 6-2 6-2 under a closed roof on Margaret Court Arena on a rainy day.
Sinner, who will face Daniel Elahi Galan or Sebastian Baez in the next round, said he has been working in the gym on his off-days in Melbourne.
He joked he wanted a muscular physique like the actors in TV show Baywatch.
“Tomorrow I have a day off, trying to practise myself into the match rhythm. I [will do] also a little bit in the gym. Even if you can’t see it, I’m skinny, but it’s OK,” Sinner said.
“I’m happy with my physicality at the moment. Of course it’s a dream to have the ‘Baywatch’ physicality but it’s OK.”
Adrenaline rush carries Tsitsipas through tough test
Stefanos Tsitsipas said the adrenaline rush he felt was “insane” as he battled past Jordan Thompson in Wednesday’s night session on Margaret Court Arena.
The Greek seventh seed required three hours and 36 minutes to overcome the Australian home hope 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 7-6 (7-4).
“You live for these kinds of matches, the intensity was there today. We were both able to peak in terms of our tennis at some point during the match,” Tsitsipas added.
“The fact that I can go to sleep tonight and know I gave it all makes me extremely happy right now.”
He will face Luca van Assche in the third round after Italian 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of the French teenager, who fought back from 2-1 down to win 6-3 3-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-0.
American 17th seed Frances Tiafoe was another shock exit as he fell to a 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-5) loss against Czech world number 75 Tomas Machac.
Tiafoe’s American compatriots, 12th seed Taylor Fritz and 16th seed Ben Shelton claimed wins against French lucky loser Hugo Gaston and Australia’s Christopher O’Connell, respectively.
Elsewhere, Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev needed just 99 minutes to beat American Chris Eubanks 6-4 6-4 6-4, while Australian 10th seed Alex de Minaur swept aside Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi 6-3 6-0 6-3.
The Italian has now missed four of the last eight grand slams after he withdrew citing a right foot injury.
Matteo Berrettini pulled out of the Australian Open without playing a match as his injury woes continued.
The former Wimbledon finalist had been due to face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round on Rod Laver Arena on Monday in one of the plum ties of the first round.
But on Sunday afternoon the tournament announced he had withdrawn with a right foot injury, making it the fourth time in the last eight grand slam tournaments where he has not been able to play a match.
The popular Italian, a semi-finalist in Melbourne in 2022, has been off the tour since suffering an ankle injury during his second-round match against Arthur Rinderknech at the US Open.
He had previously missed the French Open because of an abdominal injury, while in 2022 he also sat out Roland Garros following hand surgery and then tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of Wimbledon.
Once ranked as high as world number six, the 27-year-old, beaten by Djokovic in the Wimbledon final in 2021, is now down at 125.
Berrettini’s injury woes have continued
He has been replaced in the draw by Belgian lucky loser Zizou Bergs, who will take on Tsitsipas on Monday.
Fourth seed Jannik Sinner, one of the favourites for the title following his stellar end to 2023, began his campaign with a straight-sets win over Botic Van De Zandschulp.
Sinner, who beat Djokovic twice in a matter of days at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup in November, was a 6-4 7-5 6-3 winner on Rod Laver Arena.
The Italian did not play a warm-up tournament after his late finish to last season, and he said: “I feel like I started off actually really well for the first match.
“Then after, I had some moments where I made a couple of wrong choices, but this can happen. Even if you made maybe some matches, this can happen. Maybe you are a little bit tired sometimes.
“It was important today for me because I was looking forward to stepping on the court.”
Former finalist Marin Cilic played his first grand slam match since the US Open in 2022 following knee surgery but was beaten in four sets by Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan.
Paula Badosa recently nailed an online guessing game as she correctly identified her boyfriend and fellow player Stefanos Tsitsipas in an adorable throwback picture.
The photo, which was posted by the ATP’s Spanish social media account, shows a young Tsitsipas posing for the camera while sitting on a high chair with a wooden spatula in his hand.
The post asked the followers to guess who the player is, giving a clue that he is a current Top 10 in the world. Badosa replied to the post with a heart-eyes emoji and wrote:
“I know this one 😍.”
Badosa’s 2023 season was abruptly derailed by a spinal stress fracture sustained during the Italian Open earlier this year. Despite attempting a comeback at the Wimbledon Championships, the injury forced her to withdraw from the tournament in the second round.
The lingering pain from the fracture compelled her to miss the remainder of the season, including the US Open. Badosa eventually called an end to her season in September.
Tsitsipas hasn’t been lucky with injuries either. He was forced to withdraw from his second round-robin match against Holger Rune at the ATP Finals due to a back injury. The Greek retired after just 15 minutes of play, having lost the first two games to the Dane.
Paula Badosa addresses accusations of impeding boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas’ professional growth
Paula Badosa at the 2023 Miami Open
Paula Badosa recently spoke out against the accusations that she is ruining her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas’ tennis career.
Badosa had been sidelined by a back injury, while Tsitsipas has also struggled to perform well on tour this year. The Greek player won just one title in 2023 — the Los Cabos Open.
In a recent interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Badosa expressed her disappointment over the accusations that she is hindering Tsitsipas’ professional development.
“That has hurt me a lot, because with the whole issue of the injury, I have actually been able to dedicate myself quite a bit to helping him. We both love tennis and he is also a super-working person, we are very similar in the goals we set for ourselves. We talk a lot about tennis, and we help each other a lot,” Badosa said.
“As you can see, I have gone to the track to support him or to the gym to accompany him, always respecting the times and his people, his team; He has also supported me a lot with the injury, so when we read those things it impacts us. Sometimes people are not able to understand how that can affect you, or affect a relationship,” she added.
Paula Badosa will join Carlos Alcaraz in representing Spain at the 2024 Hopman Cup.
Greek ace Stefanos Tsitsipas talks about the parts of his game that will prove vital when playing the latter stages of Grand Slams.
The Grand Slam series of iconic tennis tournaments is well underway and Stefanos Tsitsipas is once again catching the eye. Most recently, the world number five has come through absorbing five-set matches against former US Open champions Dominic Thiem and Andy Murray at the Wimbledon championship in London.
For Tsitsipas, excelling on the famous grass courts at SW19 requires numerous aspects of his game to be firing. Here, the two-time Grand Slam finalist discusses the three most important factors that can make a difference when searching for success. 01 Covering the court
Standing at 1.93m tall and displaying a stride as powerful as it is smooth, Tsitsipas has the ability to cover all areas of the court. “This is an essential asset in tennis, because it allows players to effectively reach and return shots from all areas of the court,” explains the Greek star.
Being in the flow state helps Tsitsipas play his best game on court
Ensuring he moves well and covers the court is vital for Tsitsipas as it allows him to dictate rallies and hit the ball from an optimal position, allowing him to impart spin, find unpredictable angles and vary his power.
“This is why I have to surround myself with a great technical team which includes my fitness trainer, my coach and my physio,” he explains. “Having a deep understanding of the game and my opponent’s tendencies is crucial for perfect court coverage. Prior to any match my coach and I always study the opponent’s pattern so that I can try and anticipate the next move.” 02 Striving for the perfect forehand
The forehand is one of the signature shots of Tsitsipas and one of the most devastating weapons in his vast repertoire of strokes. One of the keys to this thundering stroke is his grip. “My grip is quite ‘flat,’ as we say in tennis, but I am still able to generate power and topspin while maintaining control.”
Finding the right balance between consistency and power with the forehand is crucial, especially on a fast surface like the grass at Wimbledon. And that’s why Tsitsipas has to be adaptable. “During rallies, I generally stick to my preferred grip, but minor adjustments can be made depending on the situation and the type of shot I want to execute,” he adds.
Tsitsipas possesses a huge forehand
Throughout the years of practice I have developed such a strong and, as you say, elegant forehand.
As competition intensifies and the need to hit more accurately increases, Tsitsipas is seeking that ideal forehand. The one that, in his words, “combines power, accuracy and spin and involves good footwork, positioning and timing.”
“My favorite forehand is the inside-out forehand, which I follow up at the net, searching for the volley depending on the situation.” When asked if he can identify the perfect forehand just by its sound, his response doesn’t indicate doubt. “Yes, absolutely. A sweet sound and an even sweeter feel. Clean and crisp.”
That clean and crisp forehand isn’t coincidental, but rather the result of a long-term process that involves constantly refining a technique that many believe is one of the smoothest and most elegant on tour. “My goal is to have a good contact point and throughout the years of practice I have developed such a strong and, as you say, elegant forehand, which I am humbled by.”
03 Serving for the win
The serve is arguably the most important facet of anyone’s game. It can help establish an advantage over an opponent and can earn quick points whether with an ace or an unreturnable serve.
For Tsitsipas, the correct serving technique starts with the fundamentals. “When serving, my rhythm is very important but the most important part is the toss. If I’m able to repeatedly get a good toss, then I’ll most likely hit a good serve and hope for the elegance.”
That elegance was dominantly displayed in Madrid a few weeks ago when he played against Thiem and achieved an incredible figure: 39 successful first serves in a row.
“I have to say that during the match I wasn’t aware of how many first serves I’d made, but now, looking back at it, I can remember feeling very zen and focused, some call it flow. Once in this mental state, everything slows down and all you can see is the ball. I strive for this every match,” he says.
Tsitsipas emphasizes the mental component of the serve, which is the only type of shot in which a player has a relatively large window of time to decide prior to executing it. In his case, this preliminary thought process encompasses several factors.
“How and where to serve will depend on several factors. Some being who I’m playing against, what surface I’m on, what the weather’s like, but mainly how I’m feeling on that day,” he explains.
“On grass, the serve remains crucial, but other factors such as movement and adaptability also come into play. Grass courts can be faster, making it more challenging to defend against powerful serves.”
The serve can be a powerful weapon in any player’s arsenal
Footwork, for some perhaps the most important physical and technical element of tennis, also becomes especially relevant on the Wimbledon grass. “Players who can adjust their footwork and quickly adapt their game to the lower bounce and slick surface can gain an advantage. So, while the serve remains important, the all-around game becomes vital on grass.”
“Obviously, I’m a fan of serve and volley, so therefore I would like to keep working on that part of my game.”
Tsitsipas seems well prepared for the challenges that the rest of the season will bring. The Greek star is still looking to win his first title this year, though he did reach the final of the Australian Open. If he’s to once again go deep in a Slam, then footwork and mobility will be crucial. But it is his fierce court coverage, powerful forehand and consistent serve that could hold the key to success.
