Stefanos’s younger brother is not competitive on the main tour yet privilege and contacts can be used to play in big events
In the dark confines of an indoor arena at the Open 13 ATP tournament in Marseille last month, the name Tsitsipas was emblazoned across the scoreboard during a first-round match. But rather than the Greek world No 5, Stefanos, it instead denoted his younger brother – ranked No 970 – who normally spends his days competing at the lowest level of the ITF World Tennis Tour.
Petros Tsitsipas, 20, entered the Marseille draw after being granted a wildcard. He lasted 45 minutes and 36 seconds in being dismantled 6-0, 6-2 by the world No 52, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. A measure of the 918 ranking places between them: Davidovich Fokina is one of the worst servers on the tour, ranked 102 out of 103 for service games won over the past year; Tsitsipas won just three return points in the entire match.
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