There was evident tension between Stefanos Tsitsipas and his father during his match against Kei Nishikori. After losing the match, Tsitsipas threw his father under the bus in the post-match interview. He said: “I need and deserve a coach that listens to me and hears my feedback as a player. My father hasn’t been very smart or very good at handling those situations. I’m really disappointed in him.”
That was not a good look on Tsitsipas as he could have sorted out his problems with his father behind closed doors. It looks like he has sorted it out though as he announced on X (formerly Twitter), that he has split with his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, as his coach.
Tsitsipas and his Father Part Ways
Stefanos Tsitsipas has split with his father and Apostolos Tsitsipas will continue to travel but only as a father, not as a coach. Tsitsipas also apologised for his behaviour towards his father during the last match. They split up last year as well in May, before his father rejoined the team in October, However, with the recent incidents and his long post on social media, it looks more permanent this time. Maybe Tsitsipas wanted his father to show him love and affection and support him as a father, but it became difficult because of their professional relationship.
It is well known that Apostolos Tsitsipas lacks the self-control to remain silent during matches. Despite Stefanos’s wishes, he frequently made his presence known and gave guidance and coaching when it was forbidden. It often incurred Stefanos Tsitsipas code violations. Some of the tennis pundits and commentators have said previously that Apostolos Tsitsipas’ coaching style during matches has hurt Stefanos more than it has helped.
This was a good and long-overdue move for Tsitsipas. It must not have been an easy decision for him but it needed to be made. His game has declined since making the final of the 2023 Australian Open. His best results have come at Montecarlo and Roland Garros, where at Roland Garros, he’s lost to Alcaraz twice. He’s been horrible after Roland Garros consistently in his career. His backhand has not improved and has become an easy target for players to rush him. As a professional athlete, becoming stagnant is a killer. It will be exciting to see what a new coach might pull out of Tsitsipas. Maybe this will help him unleash his potential.
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
