For many, Aston Martin is synonymous with the sophistication of James Bond – a connection that enchanted Stefanos Tsitsipas growing up. “That was when I started to dream – dream of maybe owning one someday,” he reflects. But for Stefanos, who lifted the season-ending ATP Tour Finals in 2019, Aston Martin represents more than just classic appeal. It’s the marque’s bold, boundary-pushing engineering and design that truly resonates with him.
“An automobile is more than a machine; it’s a symphony of art, engineering and emotion,” he says. “To me, driving an Aston Martin is not just about reaching a destination; it’s about experiencing the journey in a fusion of beauty and power. It’s where precision, innovation and performance meet passion, and its history paves the way for the future of design. That’s why this brand speaks to me the most.”
He vividly remembers falling for his first Aston Martin, the limited-edition V12 Speedster, on a sunny day in Monaco. Strolling near his apartment, he came across the Aston Martin dealership, where the striking supercar was on display. Its daring concept – a two-seater with no roof and no windscreen that a helmet comes recommended – stopped him in his tracks.
“It’s quite a crazy car to acquire as a first Aston Martin,” Stefanos, who was born in Athens into a tennis family – his mother Julia was a professional on the WTA tour – admits. But defying expectations and conventions comes naturally to the elite athlete, both on and off the court. “I was never really a motorcycle enthusiast, but the idea of driving something that feels like a hybrid between a car and a motorcycle was unheard of. I thought to myself, ‘This is the car I need to buy; it would feel wrong if I didn’t’.”
Living in Monaco, a city-state awash with luxury vehicles, Stefanos feels his choice stands out for all the right reasons. “I think it’s something that people do not expect as much. Typically, someone who has the privilege to buy a car of this calibre would go for options that are quite predictable. And Aston Martin is one of those very silent performance brands. They just have their own statement. They’re super classy.”
This appreciation for Aston Martin’s unmistakable style also extends to Stefanos’s tennis gear. Just before the pandemic, he asked Wilson Sporting Goods to customise his racket in the same British Racing Green and fluorescent yellow colour scheme as his V12 Speedster. Two years later, at the Indian Wells Open, Wilson surprised him with the Blade V9 racket in those exact colours. The whole tour started playing with that colour pattern, including his girlfriend, tennis player Paula Badosa. “I was blown away by that reveal – it made my year,” he beams. “That first glance that I had at the dealership would be more than just owning a V12 Speedster, it would have an effect on the tennis industry in some very small way. I felt very proud in that moment.”
Away from his triumphs on the tennis court, which includes reaching two Grand Slam finals to date, driving offers Stefanos a chance to disconnect from the rigours of his sport. Alongside his V12 Speedster, he’s had the time to try out a couple of other iconic Aston Martins. “The DB12 is probably one of the most exciting cars that I’ve driven since I got into the hobby of automobiles and it’s very reliable,” he says. He’s also a fan of the DBX707. “The DBX is one of my favourite cars for long trips. I’ve taken my whole family, and I’m really impressed by the space it offers.”
Driving has also played a key role for Stefanos in exploring one of his favourite creative outlets: photography, which has been garnering him a lot of attention in recent years. Now, he’s turning his lens on his Aston Martin. “Car photography is relatively new to me, as I was more into portraits and landscapes before. It has taken me to places I wouldn’t have thought of going, and opened new doors for me to flourish creatively and explore something new.”
This artistic streak has deepened Stefanos’s affinity with Aston Martin and the people behind the creation of their vehicles. “I see it as a category of art making. And for anything that relates to that, I have a lot of appreciation – anything to do with painters, graphic designers, anyone who creates, anyone who innovates. I admire those people a lot.”
As Stefanos looks ahead to expanding his collection, he’s chasing the next frontier in automotive design.
“I want to see new things that haven’t been done before. Concepts that haven’t been developed. The brands that take the initiative and bring out cars that many people might have not necessarily thought of before – that for me is creativity at its finest.”
It’s no surprise, then, that Stefanos has chosen the Valhalla as the next addition to his garage – a vehicle that represents a new chapter in ultra-luxury sports cars and F1 collaboration. Excited to own his first Aston Martin coupe, Stefanos already has plans for where to take it.
“Amalfi Coast for sure is somewhere I want to explore with Paula,” he says. “We might take a road trip to Paula’s hometown in Girona, Spain. That would be super fun. I would also like to check out the western side of France at some point, especially Biarritz.
“Getting to visit all these different landscapes, and get creative with our photography of Valhalla as well, which I find to be a beautiful creation, will definitely bring satisfaction and joy into our lives.”
And beyond the Valhalla? Stefanos has his sights set on another dream car: the Aston Martin Valkyrie. “It’s probably one of those cars that I now start building up a small little dream for. Small little fire cells building inside my belly where I hope in five to six years’ time I can be successful enough in tennis to afford an Aston Martin Valkyrie.”
Having already brought Aston Martin’s iconic colours into tennis with the Wilson Blade V9 racket, Stefanos draws on the same principles that define Aston Martin to elevate his game. “It’s a brand I feel deeply connected to,” he says. “Their values align perfectly with mine. In tennis and sports generally, performance is everything.”
