Stefanos Tsitsipas has opened up about how challenging it was to have his father, Apostolos, as a coach and why he eventually split from him.
Tsitsipas’ significant achievements during the years his father coached him should not be underestimated. The Greek No. 1 reached finals at the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open under Apostolos’ guidance.
The 26-year-old also won three Monte-Carlo Masters titles, including this year. Tsitsipas’ father should deservedly take his share of the credit for Stefanos developing into a great player.
However, many felt Apostolos’s long tenure as his son’s coach had a detrimental impact and prevented Stefanos from taking the next step needed to win Grand Slam titles.
Other parents have discussed the importance of knowing when to step back and let new coaches take over. Iga Swiatek’s father, who used to coach the four-time French Open champion, is happy he knew when to leave that position.
Tsitsipas’ former physio did an interview in December where he claimed both his parents harmed him. Apostolos was controlling, meaning other players did not want to practice with his son, and his mother pressured Stefanos not to hire a different coach.
The Tsitsipas family was enraged by the physio’s comments and sued him for them. The results of that move are currently unknown, but Stefanos’ recent remarks in an interview prove one part of the physio’s remarks were true.
Stefanos admitted to the Spanish magazine Hola that, as the physio previously said, he wanted to split with his father on several occasions but was also keen to emphasize how important a figure his father has been for him.
“My father has probably been the core of my entire life, not only in tennis, but also in my day-to-day life. He has been a very important figure, but I had already felt on several occasions that need to move forward professionally without him.”
“Obviously, he is one of the people largely responsible for my successes so far, but I also need to explore my own limits, have my own story and embark on a different journey in which to continue learning.”
The former French Open runner-up also admitted it was hard to have a relationship with his father outside of tennis. Those complications were one of the primary reasons he decided to split with Apostolos.
“It has been very difficult for the two of us to have a natural father-son relationship during all these years of championships. That was also one of the main reasons why I decided to part ways with him as a coach.”
“Ultimately, it can also be understood as a way to save our relationship and build something healthy in the future.”
Tsitsipas had a decent run without his father at the ongoing Paris Masters but lost in the quarterfinal to Alexander Zverev, who reached the final after defeating Holger Rune.
Stefanos will focus on having a good off-season so that he can perform well in 2025 and justify the decision to split from his father.
