Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas is in attendance for Sunday’s Serie A clash between Genoa and Roma, revealing that he has been a long-term supporter of the Grifone due in an on-pitch interview before kick-off at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Tsitsipas was invited onto the pitch, and hit a few tennis balls into the crowd while the players warmed up.
Tsitsipas reveals support for Genoa
“I’m very happy to be here, I’ve been supporting Genoa for such a long time, so I am super grateful for the opportunity. These are some of the nicest, most enthusiastic fans in Italy, so I’m really happy to be here,” Tsitsipas told DAZN.
So why did he end up supporting Genoa, of all clubs?
“If I told you, then you would never believe me. When I was young with my brother we were playing a video game, I had to pick a team and saw Genoa, thought the logo was amazing. That’s how we date back.
“If you had asked me back then if I’d be here right now with the team I picked, I wouldn’t believe you. I am fortunate to have played tennis so well that I was given this opportunity.”
The tennis champion even got to take part in the warm-up with the goalkeepers, both with a tennis ball and a football.
“It was quite a memorable moment to share a few shots and practice with the players. I played football for most of my life until the age of 12, I’ve been around the structure of football from a very young age. Only later in my life did I fall in love with tennis, but I always loved football and might’ve wanted to become a football player, so this environment is very familiar for me.”