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Stefanos Tsitsipas: The unusual hobby of the man who beat Roger Federer

Roger Federer was down and out as Stefanos Tsitsipas knocked out the six-time winner in four sets on Sunday.

Roger Federer was down and out as Stefanos Tsitsipas knocked out the six-time winner in four sets on Sunday. Photo: Getty

By now you’ve heard of Stefanos Tsitsipas: The rising Greek star who knocked out six-time winner Roger Federer in four sets at the Australian Open on Sunday night. 

But off the court, did you know about his fascination with meticulously capturing his every moment on the ATP Tour on video?

At the US Open in 2017, Tsitsipas started experimenting with creating video diaries to capture the various places and cultures he encounters while touring. 

So far, the 20-year-old star has created more than 30 vlogs, with the latest detailing his adventure to Perth’s Rottnest Island in his quest to spot a quokka. 

He has more than 14,000 subscribers, and some videos rack up to 10,000 views.

He’s a one-man show – Tsitsipas stars, writes, directs and edits all of his own clips, and uses equipment including countless lenses and even several drones.

Not only does he give viewers a glimpse of exotic beaches and sights from around the world, he gets futuristic, too.

In one video published in July, Tsitsipas talks about smart cities and what a world would look like with zero pollution, flying cars and even bionic people. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPeI2EW-oJs

Tsitsipas told The New York Times last year that travelling all year long wasn’t easy, so he used vlogging as a way to stay motivated.

“Tennis is always going to be there. The travelling is always going to be there. So why not have a hobby and travel with it, and feel happy with it?” he said. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnbxJzT7RWo&t=244s

Making videos, he said, is: “Like a Plan B for me. If things don’t go well from the beginning of the tournament, I might film or make a video in the city. But if I keep winning, I’m trying to forget it as much as possible.”

Tsitsipas also expresses himself through still photography in an Instagram account under the pseudonym Steve the Hawk, where he has shared portrait stills, places and landmarks. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsPJPOjHLs8/

When interviewed by John McEnroe after his thrilling win over Federer on Sunday night – 6-7 (13-11) 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 7-6 (7-5) – the Greek sensation said he was “the happiest man on Earth right now”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDBJhEZyCgs

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