Greek Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas revealed early Monday morning that he learned of his grandmother's death just five minutes before his French Open final against Novak Djokovic.
In an Instagram post, the 22-year-old dedicated his first Grand Slam final to her which he lost in a tough five-setter against World No. 1 Djokovic 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
"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 of the grandmother on his father's side. "It's important to have more people like her in this world. Because people like her make you come alive. They make you dream," he said.
"I would like to say that regardless of the day, circumstance or situation, this is entirely dedicated to her, and only her. Thank you for raising my father. Without him, this wouldn't have been possible," he added.
After receiving the tragic news, the Greek put the loss in perspective as he said there are more important things in life than winning trophies.
"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. "[It is about] living a meaningful life without misery and abjection. Lifting trophies and celebrating wins is something, but not everything." After the final on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Stefanos Tsitsipas is all set to achieve a career-high ranking of No. 4 next week.
