Stefanos Tsitsipas loves experimenting with new things, and he is oddly better than Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev in a particular stat.
Serving on the deuce-side
Usually, tennis players prefer to direct their second serve on the backhand of their opponents. This is particularly true when serving on the deuce-side against right-handed players. However, as highlighted by the ATP official website, Stefanos Tsitsipas seems to be rather happy to redirect his 2nd serve on his opponents’ forehand on the deuce-side.
Top10
It’s interesting to notice that the top10 players (like the other colleagues) prefer to direct the second serve on the deuce court down the T against right-handed opponents. However, the second serve’s success rate is much higher if directed wide (65%). A possible explanation of this is that the opponent usually doesn’t expect the second serve to be placed on his forehand. In addition, having the unforeseen opportunity to return the second serve on the forehand may lead a player to force and over-hit an aggressive shot.
| Second-Serve Direction | Direction Percentage | Winning Percentage |
| Wide | 25% | 65% |
| Body | 23% | 56% |
| T | 53% | 58% |
As reported by the ATP, Tsitsipas is the most successful player adopting this tactic. As per the following stats, Stefanos won 75% of his second serves when going wide on the deuce court.
1. Stefanos Tsitsipas = 75.0% (21/28)
2. Alexander Zverev = 66.7% (4/6)
3. Dominic Thiem = 67.5% (27/40)
3. Rafael Nadal = 67.5% (27/40)
5. Daniil Medvedev = 64.2% (61/95)
6. Gael Monfils = 62.7% (37/59)
7. Matteo Berrettini = 62.5% (10/16)
8. Diego Schwartzman = 60.6% (40.66)
Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2020
Now ranked no.6, Tsitsipas played his last match on the 19th of November when he surrendered to Rafael Nadal 6-4 4-6 6-2 in the round robin in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
At the moment, during this season Stefanos owns a 27-14 win-loss record. Tsitsipas has won 1 title in Marseille. Stefanos got to the final in Dubai and in Hamburg.
Rafael Nadal in 2020
Now the world no.2, the Spaniard played his last match on the 21st of November when he capitulated to Daniil Medvedev 3-6 7-64 6-3 in the semifinal in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
This year the Spaniard has managed to achieve 27-7 match record. Nadal conquered 2 titles in 2020 in Acapulco and at the French Open.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafael Nadal faced off 7 times. The head to head is 6-1 for Nadal. The last time they played, Rafael Nadal won 6-4 4-6 6-2 in the round robin in London (Nitto ATP Finals) on the 19th of November 2020.
Here the highlights.
Dominic Thiem in 2020
Ranked no.3 (career-high), Thiem played his last contest on the 22nd of November when he lost to Daniil Medvedev 4-6 7-62 6-4 in the final in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
Until now, during this year the Austrian has a 25-9 record. Thiem clinched 1 title at the U.S. Open. The Austrian was the runner-up at the Australian Open and .
Alexander Zverev in 2020
Now ranked no.7, Alexander played his last match on the 20th of November when he surrendered to Novak Djokovic 6-3 7-64 in the round robin in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
During this season Zverev has a 28-11 win-loss record. Zverev clinched 2 titles in 2020 in Cologne and in Cologne. Alexander was the finalist at the U.S. Open and in Paris.
Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev played each other 10 times. The head to head is 8-2 for Thiem. Previously, the last time when they fought against each other, Dominic Thiem won 2-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-66 in the final in New York (U.S. Open) on the 13th of September 2020.
In the video below you can watch the highlights.
