Topflight tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas gave a shocking take ahead of next month's US Open tournament, where he declared he would rather become the ATP world number one ranking over winning a grand slam title.

Tsitsipas is currently ranked 5th in the ATP rankings, and was as high as No. 3 in August of 2021. He has progressed strongly over the last two years, but has often come up short in major matches against the top players. Amid the disappointing endings to the majors, Tsitsipas is pivoting his goals towards earning the best ranking instead of winning a major slam.

“I would trade a GS title to be #1. It's something special & a sign that you reached the maximum in your career & I love when you're able to maximize everything. That way, 1 day I can tell my grandchildren I was #1,” Tsitsipas told El Universal.

The Greek star believes that becoming number 1 in the world . It may seem counterintuitive, but it is possible to rack up enough ranking points in the ATP from smaller tournaments and deep runs in the majors without winning.

Tsitsipas has been to two Grand Slam Finals, where he fell short in both. He was defeated by rival Novak Djokovic in the 2021 French Open final, and again in the Australian Open final earlier in 2023. Djokovic is the world no. 1 that he Tsitsipas aspires to be, and knows he will have his work cut out for him to overcome the veteran and other younger stars.