Stefanos Tsitsipas trains with Gael Monfils ahead of second-round match at Indian Wells, delights fans by signing autographs

The 23-year-old arrived in the California desert on the heels of a third-round exit at the US Open but a fruitful Laver Cup, where he won both of his matches to help Team Europe lift the title for the fourth time in a row.

Even though it was just a training session, Tsitsipas and Monfils pulled quite a crowd. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise as the Greek is one of the most popular players on tour and Monfils has been a fan favorite for years.

During the practise session, Tsitsipas was seen hitting some crisp backhands and fine-tuning his skills at the net.

His father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, who also doubles up as his coach, was present to keep tabs on his son's progress. However, Patrick Mouratoglou, who also coaches Tsitsipas, was conspicuous by his absence.

After the session, Tsitsipas interacted with his fans, taking selfies and signing autographs. One fan was particularly lucky as he got a giant portrait of Tsitsipas signed by the Greek.

Stefanos Tsitsipas looking to improve his Indian Wells record

Tsitsipas, who is seeded second in the BNP Paribas Open this year, has never progressed beyond the second round of the Masters 1000 event. However, his chances of making the third-round this year are high as he opens his campaign against Pedro Martinez, who is widely considered a claycourt specialist.

The Greek is projected to face some big names early on in the tournament, but most of them are struggling for form. Barring any major upset, Tsitsipas should be able to make the semifinals at Indian Wells this year.

The 23-year-old has already qualified for the ATP Finals in Turin mainly due to a stellar first half of the season. The Greek won his maiden Masters 1000 title at Monte-Carlo and followed it up with a run to the final at Roland Garros, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in five sets.

Tsitsipas also made the semifinals of the 1000 Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati in the lead up to the US Open.

About the author

Rohit is a journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in covering tennis. Having been with the company for four years, he has proven himself as a formidable force in the field. With a Master's degree in law, Rohit brings his analytical and research skills to the forefront as a journalist. He stays on top of the game by using social media platforms and never misses a match for on-court insights. He values giving credit where it's due, keeping his reporting fair and accurate.

At the outset of his career, Rohit found his niche in writing previews and SEO pieces and it's this expertise that continues to define his role at Sportskeeda. He is particularly proud of one article that garnered an impressive 750k views and surpassed his "wildest dreams." Rohit is not particularly fond of (GOAT) debates and it is one of the reasons why he left the legal world behind. He prefers to view players in "tiers," where they're all esteemed to an extent. However, if pressed to name favorites, he would choose Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams sisters' journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of tennis has been his greatest source of inspiration.

When he isn't busy making spot-on predictions about match outcomes, Rohit likes reading, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, and comics. As an X-Men fanatic, he's also passionate about board games and enjoys watching movies in his spare time. And don't be surprised if you catch him silently wishing to the tennis gods for the removal of ad scoring from doubles.

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