The funeral of Stefanos Tsitsipas' grandmother, Stavroula, took place on Tuesday at the Church of Agios Athanasios in Karditsa
Stefanos did not attend the funeral, however his presence was most definitely felt.
He sent a floral wreath to honour her memory: "My grandmother Stavroula, champion of devotion and faith, champion of courage and bravery, champion of life. You are first in my heart, my dear grandmother. You will always inspire me on my way. Farewell in your journey to eternity. Your grandson Stefanos."
The Greek tennis star revealed early on Monday morning that he learned of his grandmother's death five minutes before his Roland Garros final against Novak Djokovic.
The moving post on Instagram: "Life isn't about winning or losing. It's about enjoying every single moment in life whether that's alone or with others. Living a meaningful life without misery and abjection. Lifting trophies and celebrating wins is something, but not everything. 5 minutes before entering the court my very beloved grandmother lost her battle with life. A wise woman whose faith in life, and willingness to give and provide can't be compared to any other human being that I have ever met. It's important to have more people like her in this world. Because people like her make you come alive. They make you dream. I would like to say that regardless of the day, circumstance or situation, this is entirely dedicated to her, and only her. Thank you for for raising my father. Without him this wouldn't have been possible."
Despite the tragic news, Tsitsipas’s father Apostolos stood in support of his son in the player’s box as he had throughout the tournament.
The Greek tennis star also announced his withdrawal from the Wimbledon warm-up event in Halle.
Our condolences to the Tsitsipas family.