Stefanos Tsitsipas came from a set down to beat Dominic Thiem last night, becoming the youngest winner of the ATP Finals in 18 years.
The 21 year-old Greek won 6-7, 6-2, 7-6 to grab the biggest title of his fledgling tennis career.
Thiem, who went ahead in the first set, fell away as the match proceeded before offering somewhat of a fightback in the third. Despite this, Tsitsipas proved too much for the Austrian, forcing a tiebreak and subsequently winning in front of a boisterous 02 arena.
Tsitsipas is the youngest winner of the season-ending competition, since Lleyton Hewitt in 2001. Arguably, to most, the Greek is also at a much higher level to many at his age, including Hewitt.
Interviewed following his victory, Stefanos explained it as a “dream come true.” When asked about his feelings throughout the match, he further expressed, “I did get nervous at times, but in the end I managed to forget about how I felt and used the momentum in the tie-break.”
It was only a year ago that Tsitsipas was victorious in the ‘NextGen’ tournament – the end-of-season event for the best players aged 21 and under – further outlining his progress over the year. Not only have his obvious talents on the course won him plaudits across the globe, it’s his exuberant personality off the pitch that many now resonate with.
This triumph for the Greek tops off a staggeringly exciting year, having climbed to 6th in the World rankings. Both he and Thiem will restart their assault on the upper echelons of the Tennis world in January, with the Australian Open.
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