Watch: Stefanos Tsitsipas gears up for 2022 season in Dubai

Roland Garros runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas is leaving no stone unturned in his preparations for the upcoming 2022 season. The Greek, who underwent elbow surgery last month, has slowly increased the intensity of his training sessions in Dubai.

In the latest practice video released by a fan on Twitter on December 21, the World No. 4 can be seen hitting his groundstrokes freely, without holding himself back.

The former ATP Finals champion has been careful not to overburden his elbow with heavy training sessions right away. In an earlier video posted on December 15, the Greek was seen indulging in a fun doubles practice session.

Tsitsipas was next seen having a light hit without putting pressure on his recuperating elbow.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and his brother Petros, who is also a professional player, could then be seen working on their speed, endurance and leg strength. The two kept putting the hard yards in under the watchful eyes of Stefanos' fitness coach, Frederic Lefebvre, who has been a part of his team since 2017.

Going by Tsitsipas' most recent video, the Greek is nearing full fitness ahead of the Australian Open, where he is a two-time semifinalist.

Stefanos Tsitsipas attends Abu Dhabi GP during his Middle East sojourn

Stefanos Tsitsipas had a remarkable first half of 2021, reaching the French Open final and winning his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at Monte Carlo. However, the season didn't end well for him.

A persistent elbow injury compelled him to withdraw from the ATP Finals in Turin following his first match. The Greek ultimately went under the knife on November 25 and subsequently announced his plans to do his pre-season in Dubai before heading Down Under.

After arriving in the Middle East, Tsitsipas also took some time out to attend the riveting Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with his younger brother Pavlos. A self-confessed Max Verstappen fan, the Greek's joy knew no bounds when the Red Bull driver was crowned world champion.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who recently became a part of the Red Bull family, was in their box with his brother and got to celebrate with the entire team.

The 23-year-old later called the experience "pure epicness" during a chat session with his fans on Twitter Spaces.

About the author

Sudeshna is a veteran Indian Sports and International Tennis journalist as well as editor at Sportskeeda. She has an overall experience of over 10 years with top publications like The Bridge, Fox Sports Asia, and gained a keen interest in Indian sports since the 2002 Commonwealth and Asian Games when she was in school.

Sudeshna holds a Master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. She attends tournaments regularly and being a highly experienced journalist, she ensures she only contacts the correct people from her network for the most authentic information to be put in her articles.

Sudeshna’s favorite Indian athlete is PV Sindhu owing to her big-tournament performances. She also admires Tennis legend Rafael Nadal for his resilience and has witnessed the Spaniard in action at the French Open, due to which, Roland Garros is her all-time favorite Grand Slam tournament.

Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics made a lasting impact on Sudeshna. She has also interviewed him along with Badminton star Chirag Shetty and several other sports personalities. She has done on-ground reporting on multiple ITF tournaments along with the Premier Badminton League, Asian Boxing Championships and the Davis Cup.

When not using her skills and years of experience in crafting compelling content, Sudeshna likes to read, watch movies and travel.

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