Stefanos Tsitsipas delights crowd by telling Novak Djokovic to be ‘less selfish’ as pair remain on a collision course at the Australian Open
- Greek heartthrob Novak Djokovic ‘selfish’
- It was a joke: the pair might meet at the Australian Open
- Serbian is chasing his 11th Grand Slam in Melbourne
- Tsitispas, 25, has yet to win a major in his career
Stefanos Tsitsipas has playfully called on world number one Novak Djokovic to be ‘less selfish’ as the Greek heartthrob chases his first Australian Open title.
Tsitsipas, 25, was something of a villain on Wednesday night, beating local hope Jordan Thompson in four grueling sets at Margaret Court Arena to advance to the third round.
He remains on a collision course with top seed Djokovic, who defeated Tsitsipas in straight sets in last year’s final.
With the Serbian winning a whopping 10 Australian Open titles, seventh seed Tsitsipas wants another player to hoist the trophy on January 28.
‘It’s one of two scenarios. I don’t think the numbers lie. Novak (Djokovic) has been able to win here many times, he is a very selfish person,” Tsitsipas said cheekily after the match, much to the delight of the crowd.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has called on Novak Djokovic to be ‘less selfish’ as the Greek heartthrob chases his first Australian Open title
With the Serbian having won an impressive 10 Australian Open titles throughout his career, seventh seed Tsitsipas wants another player to lift the trophy on January 28.
Djokovic (pictured right) defeated Tsitsipas in the final of the Australian Open in straight sets last year
“If one day he manages to wake up feeling less selfish, sharing is caring.
“Whether someone has to beat Novak, it’s not me, or it has to be me, we’ll have to find a way.”
Djokovic advanced to the third round on Wednesday evening after a hard-fought victory against Aussie Alexei Popyrin at Rod Laver Arena.
Tsitsipas has raised his hand to send Djokovic home early.
“There’s no secret… I come with a lot of energy and a lot of determination,” he told American tennis legend and two-time Australian Open winner Jim Courier.
“I know I am capable of making certain things happen and making a deep run at the Aussie Open.
‘It’s one of my favorite tournaments; I used to skip school to watch it.’
Tsitsipas will next face Frenchman Luca Van Assche on Saturday for a place in the fourth round.