Tsitsipas puts Greek tennis back on map with Barcelona run

In the end, Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered the same fate as so many who’ve dared to challenge Rafael Nadal on clay. After romping through an impressive field that included Diego Schwartzman, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Dominic Thiem, the Greek teenager won just three games off Nadal in the Barcelona final.

But not before securing his place in history, without dropping a set. Tsitispas became the first Greek male to make an ATP final since Nicholas Kalogeropoulos did it in 1973. Now ranked No. 44, he’s the only player from his country with the distinction of landing in the Top 50.

Marcos Baghdatis has enjoyed an illustrious career, but he plays for Cyprus, not Greece. On the women's side, Eleni Daniilidou, a former world No. 14, has won five WTA titles and reached the fourth round of three of the Grand Slams.

Tsitsipas’s achievement is part of a larger exciting trend in the 2018 season; that of rising stars from unheralded tennis-playing countries stealing the spotlight.

First, it was South Korea's Hyeon Chung making his mark at the Australian Open, taking out Sascha Zverev and Novak Djokovic before blisters ended his bid in the quarterfinals. Then Japan's Naomi Osaka, impressing with her poise and power, made her way to the Indian Wells title (while her compatriot Kei Nishikori is quietly amping up his comeback).

South Korea, Japan, and Greece are not exactly tennis powerhouses, but the success of these players can go a long way in inspiring greater interest in the sport in their home countries.