Stefanos Tsitsipas just opened up about his complicated relationship with his father – and it’s pretty raw stuff.
The Greek tennis star was coached by his dad, Apostolos, for most of his career. But anyone watching their matches lately could see things weren’t going well between them.
They’d argue on court constantly. It was tough to watch.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | 27 | 3,740 | 28 - 10 |
The split became inevitable last August. Since then, Tsitsipas has been working with temporary coaches while searching for the right fit. He’s finally found his guy: Goran Ivanisevic, who helped Novak Djokovic win a bunch of Grand Slams.
Before starting with his new coach, Tsitsipas got really honest about what went wrong with his dad during an appearance on The Changeover Podcast.
Things Are Getting Better Now
The good news? Their relationship is healing.
“Our relationship has actually gotten better over the last couple of months. It was very hard and difficult in the beginning when we split. It was very hard for him to accept that he’s not part of my inner circle anymore. He’s still my father and he’s still someone that remains dear and close to me.”
Stefanos clearly still loves his dad. And he recognizes how much Apostolos sacrificed for his tennis career.
“He’s an amazing person in my life, because he’s done so many sacrifices, and he’s done so much work. He stayed late nights to scout on my games, to evaluate games. He sometimes get even more bitter and upset than I do when I lose matches.”
But that last part? That was actually part of the problem.
When Love Becomes Too Much
Tsitsipas thinks his father was living his tennis dreams through him. And that created some really unhealthy dynamics.
The pressure got intense. Really intense.
“It reached a point before where tennis got too much in the way. And, as bad as it sounds, I think it became even toxic in a way because I felt like he was constantly hunting. It reached the point where he was hunting more than me and that’s where the pressure kicks in. That’s where I feel the toxicity of it all.”
That’s a pretty brave thing to admit publicly. When your coach wants success more than you do, something’s got to give.
The situation had become toxic. Sometimes family relationships and professional ones just don’t mix well, even when there’s lots of love involved.
Starting Fresh with Ivanisevic
Now Tsitsipas is excited about working with Goran Ivanisevic, who knows a thing or two about winning big matches. The Croatian helped guide Djokovic to multiple Grand Slam titles.
But Stefanos isn’t expecting miracles right away.
“I am not expecting this to be suddenly something that starts giving me titles from week one or week two. I’m focusing more on the long process of it, the whole journey of working with him and my whole goal with that is to try and see improvements.”
That’s pretty mature thinking. Especially after the emotional rollercoaster of the past year.
He wants more than just technical help with his shots. Tsitsipas is looking for someone who can help him think differently about the game.
“I feel like that’s a part of an identity in a coach that is important, to not only coach me on how I can hit better forehands and backhands, but also coach me in the way I should probably be thinking.”
“And, the way he has faced situations in his own personal career and maybe pass on those tough experiences, those adversity moments, and teach me through his own experiences.”
Ivanisevic definitely has those experiences. The guy won Wimbledon as a wild card and dealt with plenty of ups and downs during his playing career.
For Tsitsipas, this partnership could be exactly what he needs to take the next step in his career. He’s already reached two Grand Slam finals – maybe with the right coaching setup, he can finally get over the line and win one.
The grass court season will be their first real test together. And honestly, it’ll be interesting to see how different things look without all that family drama in the background.
