Editor's note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es
The challenge faced by Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Mallorca Championships is not unfamiliar to him. The Greek landed on the Balearic Island on Sunday aiming to make to it back-to-back titles at the grass-court ATP 250, something he has previously achieved in Marseille (2019-20) and at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (2021-22).
The No. 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is yet to add to his trophy haul this season, although he has reached two finals. One of them came on Spanish soil, at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (the other was at January’s Australian Open).
Tsitsipas is fifth on the leaderboard of most tour-level wins in 2023 with 32. This week, he will hope for a trophy to reward his consistent winning on the grass of Mallorca. For his trip to the ATP 250, Tsitsipas is joined by his father and long-term coach Apostolos Tsitsipas, his brother Petros Tsitsipas (who is competing in the doubles), and his girlfriend, WTA Tour star Paula Badosa.
Badosa, who is recovering from a stress fracture to a vertebra, is preparing herself for a return to competition. On Monday morning she took part in a practice session under the supervision of Apostolos.
In the afternoon, she shared a practice court with Stefanos before the 24-year-old, who is the top seed in the singles draw, took to court to play his first-round doubles match alongside Feliciano Lopez.
A nine-time ATP Tour champion, Tsitsipas will take on the in-form Yannick Hanfmann in his opening match, after the German defeated Pedro Cachin 6-2, 6-1 on Monday.
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from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/Kw34YzJ
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