Stefanos Tsitsipas: Playing without fans will be especially tough for top players

Greek tennis superstar Stefanos Tsitsipas admits playing behind the closed doors feels strange and it's been a decade since he was playing in those circumstances. 

Tsitsipas, seeded at No. 4, had a first round bye and he is now set to meet Kevin Anderson in his opener at the Cincinnati Masters.

The USTA is staging the Cincinnati Masters and US Open in New York, in a bubble.

"I would say more a free-for-all. I don't know, it's different playing with no people. I was watching a few matches yesterday. I don't know, there's not much atmosphere when players are playing. There's a lack of that. You can even see it on TV when you're watching the matches from here," Tsitsipas said.

"I can say, yeah, without the atmosphere it does look and feel different. For me, I haven't really gone out there and played without spectators. I think last time was when I was 12, 11 years old, long time ago, that I had to play a match with no spectators, no people around. No, we did have chair umpires.

"I think it's going to be challenging for most players, especially for the top players, which are used to having a big fan base, being surrounding by fans cheering their name, having people that love them when they play.

"I think it's going to create a more equal space for any player. I think, yeah, again, it is going to be challenging. I think it benefits a bit the lower-ranked players.

Tsitsipas admits being in the bubble is not easy but he understands 

"It is difficult at first. You're not able to go anywhere except your hotel room. You keep going back and forth from your hotel room and on the site. I think it's difficult not to be able to mix it up a little bit, go somewhere else, go to a nice restaurant with your team, go explore the city a little bit. That daily routine, that daily repetition makes it difficult," Tsitsipas said.

"At the same time it's for the safety of everyone. I don't feel like it's unfair to me because everyone has to undergo all of this. So that gives me in a way a different approach towards my tennis, that gives me an opportunity to focus more on my tennis and less of what's happening outside of it, which is great.

"I practice a lot. Gives me an opportunity to practice a lot, discover myself more being out on the court, love my sport even more, appreciate my sport more."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2EuLiik