PARIS — Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 22-year-old rising star from Greece, will play in his first Grand Slam final Sunday.
Tsitsipas survived five-sets of testosterone-fueled tennis Friday, staving off a stirring comeback from Alexander Zverev of Germany Friday, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 in the first men’s semifinal. He will play the winner of the heavyweight matchup between Rafael Nadal, the 13-time French Open champion, and Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1.
Tsitsipas, a passionate player and person who makes films in his spare time, fought back tears in an interview on the court after the match.
“All I can think of is my roots where I came from a small place outside Athens, my dream was to play here,” he said.