My grandmother passed away minutes before French Open final: Tsitsipas
What's the story
Stefanos Tsitsipas missed out on his maiden Grand Slam title on Sunday. He was defeated by world number one Novak Djokovic in an epic final that ran for over four hours. The Greek player recently stated that his grandmother passed away moments before the final started. He revealed the same in a heartfelt post on Instagram. Here are further details.
Statement
Here is what Tsitsipas wrote
"Five minutes before entering the court, my very beloved grandmother lost her battle with life. A wise woman whose faith in life, and willingness to give and provide can't be compared to any other human being that I have ever met," Tsitsipas wrote. "It's important to have more people like her in this world. Because people like her make you come alive."
Loss
Life isn't about winning or losing: Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas, who lost the five-set battle to world number one Djokovic, mentioned his defeat in the post. "Life isn't about winning or losing. It's about enjoying every single moment in life whether that's alone or with others," Tsitsipas wrote. He added, "It is about living a meaningful life without misery and abjection. Lifting trophies and celebrating wins is something, but not everything."
Information
French Open 2021: Tsitsipas finished as the runner-up
Tsitsipas finished as the runner-up of the 2021 French Open after losing to Djokovic in the final. The former was in pursuit of his maiden Grand Slam final. Tsitsipas could have become the youngest Grand Slam men's singles champion since 2009.
Performance
A look at his performance
Despite losing in the final, Tsitsipas showed his dominance in this year's French Open. The Greek dropped a set or more only thrice, against John Isner (third round), Alexander Zverev (semi-final), and Djokovic (final) respectively. After winning the semi-final against Zverev, Tsitsipas had entered his first Grand Slam final. He has now amassed a tour-leading 39 wins in the season, including 22 on clay-court.