Stefanos Tsitsipas almost 'lost his life' aged 15 in terrifying incident

has revealed that he almost lost his life in a "terrifying" incident as a teenager.

The world No. 11 burst onto the scene as one of tennis' brightest young prospects when he was 20.

But only five years earlier, Tsitsipas father had to rescue him when his life was put in danger while in the sea.

The Greek star opened up on the traumatising ordeal in a joint interview with his girlfriend Paula Badosa. According to , the incident almost "cost his life".

Tsitsipas was enjoying an afternoon at the beach with his friends when the sea became rough and his dad Apostolos was forced to save him from the water. "It was a terrifying experience," the 26-year-old recalled.

"I don't think I've ever had such an experience, which taught me to live every moment, to be grateful and not to take anything for granted in life."

The world No. 11 admitted the episode had stayed with him, adding: "It must have had an impact on me because I also realised how terrifying nature can be, especially when you're not aware of it.

"The sea has a great cultural value in Greece and I spent a lot of time on the sea and islands as a child. That day taught me for the rest of my life that there are always dangers that you can't control."

Tsitsipas has made the most of his life ever since. He emerged as a rising star on the tennis circuit in 2018, reaching his first tour-level final in Barcelona.

A few months later, the Greek player stormed into his maiden Masters 1000 final at the Canadian Open by beating four top-10 players - , Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Kevin Anderson. He lost the championship match on his 20th birthday.

He won the Next Gen ATP Finals at the end of the season. And Tsitsipas truly announced himself when he stunned two-time defending champion Roger Federer at the 2019 Australian Open.

Since then, the 26-year-old has amassed 11 titles, including the ATP Finals and three Monte Carlo Masters trophies. Tsitsipas has also reached a career-high ranking of No. 3 and appeared in two Grand Slam finals.

The world No. 11 is currently fighting for a spot in the ATP Finals. Tsitsipas is in action at this week's Paris Masters, where he must reach the final to keep his chances of qualifying for the year-end championships alive.

If he makes it into Turin, it will be his sixth straight appearance in the season-ending tournament.