Stefanos Tsitsipas feels he is "really close" to winning first Grand Slam title

Stefanos Tsitsipas is confident of winning his first Grand Slam title soon and believes he is on the right path towards attaining the goal.

The World No. 5 reached the final of the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open. However, he was thwarted by Novak Djokovic on both occasions.

Speaking to Punto de Break, Tsitsipas stated that he is "really close" to achieving Grand Slam glory and just needs to "continue fighting" to reach another Major final.

"I know that I am really close, I just have to continue on this same path, giving myself the opportunity to continue fighting until I stand up again in another final," he said. "It is a long road to reach that goal, now I am working to be more consistent and return as soon as possible to stand up to an opportunity like this."

To win a maiden Grand Slam title, however, Tsitsipas knows he'll have to "level up" and improve his preparation.

"This year, after playing in the final in Australia, I had that injury that has prevented me from competing well in upcoming tournaments, so next time I'll have to level up a lot if I want to win. I have to improve my preparation," he added.

After a quarter-final exit from the Monte-Carlo Masters, the Greek is hopeful of going further at this week's Barcelona Open, which he called "one of the biggest challenges on the circuit."

"I hope I can play a good level here. I have played the tournament several times and it is a very long road to the final, a real marathon, winning this tournament is one of the biggest challenges on the circuit," he opined.

Stefanos Tsitsipas will commence his campaign in Barcelona on Wednesday (April 19). His Round of 32 opponent is yet to be decided.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas says the arrival of Carlos Alcaraz makes the Grand Slam goal "a bit more complicated"

Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters

In the same interview, Stefanos Tsitsipas admitted that World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz presents a huge threat to his Grand Slam chances. Nevertheless, he is up for the challenge.

"Of course, the arrival of Alcaraz makes this objective a bit more complicated than it already is, but I love that the challenges are difficult. Then he knows better, few things are more satisfying than overcoming a really complicated challenge," the Greek said.

With Rafael Nadal still struggling with injury, the 2023 French Open might well offer a great opportunity for Tsitsipas to finally break his Grand Slam duck.