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After missing out on a first Grand Slam title
in January with defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open
final, Tsitsipas went out early in Rotterdam and Indian Wells
before reaching the fourth round in Miami and the Monte Carlo
quarters.
The 24-year-old then bounced back in Barcelona, where he lost to
world number two Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, but his recent form
has him in good spirits with Roland Garros on the horizon.
Tsitsipas said he had a lot of matches on clay under his belt
and he considered himself a "candidate" in Madrid.
"The run I had in Barcelona brought me joy because after the
Australian Open I didn't go deep in tournaments," he said.
"Now I've had a first glimpse of what it is to be strong again.
Things are looking pretty bright."
Tsitsipas could come up against defending champion Alcaraz in
the Madrid final and the Greek said it was difficult to match
the world number two's focus and dedication to the sport.
"In order to get there I'd have to spend hours on the court
practising, also hours in the gym working out and hours in my
room analysing my past performances and trying to get better,"
he added.
While Alcaraz will be favourite to follow up his Barcelona
triumph with the Madrid title, Tsitsipas said the higher
altitude of the Spanish capital offered him a "small advantage".
"I'm getting adjusted to that. It's something that I've done
pretty well in the past few years. I like the altitude, I think
it's good for my game," he said.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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