There are several Aussies blessed with the chance to play a home grand slam. While Stefanos Tsitsipas is certainly no Aussie, the massive Greek population in Melbourne means it’s basically a home slam for him, too.

Recording a mixed bag of results in 2024, Tsitsipas is hoping his time in Australia will be one that breaks his inconsistent form and sparks a return to his peak.

Tsitsipas claimed his third Masters title in Monte Carlo in 2024, but struggled to find much success following the event.

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A former Australian Open runner-up, Tsitsipas admitted the large Greek culture in Melbourne provides a taste and feeling of home each time he travels for the slam.

Melbourne has the largest Greek-speaking population outside of Greece and Cyprus.

“I can’t wait to start the Australian Open… [it’s like] my home Slam,” he said.

“Traveling so far overseas and having that feeling of home allows me to feel good within my comfort zone.

“I think that’s also why my tennis thrives and I feel better with my game.

“The Greek fans, the Greek community in Melbourne makes a big difference in terms of feeling on court.

“Having that bit of an addition to my game where I know I get rewarded and I get really supported in difficult moments by fans in the crowd adds a little bit to my excitement.”

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The Australian Open is where Tsitsipas has performed the most consistently since 2019. In that time he has only failed to reach the semi final stage twice.

His current match success rate at the Australian slam is 24-7.

Tsitsipas will open his time in Australia with a battle against Alex Michelsen, who he last met in September.

The pair’s battle at the Lexus ATP event in Tokyo ended in favour of the Greek, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

“I worked very hard [in the offseason] to get ready for Australia,” said Tsitsipas.

“Overall very happy with the way I committed to the work, and my mentality seemed pretty good. I was in a good place. I was patient with the work.

“Obviously there was my fair share of suffering, too, which requires some physical work. This also means that I have to overcome some difficult moments during preseason such as fatigue and tiredness, [but] I did overcome it.

“I just hope my tennis blends in well with the rest of the crowd.

“I hope I’m going to be able to really perform at my highest level and bring that tennis that I’ve shown in the last few years.”