Stefanos Tsitsipas announced on Friday that his father Apostolos would no longer serve as his coach.
“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that my collaboration with my father as a coach has come to an end. I prefer to keep my father in his role as a father, and only as a father,” Tsitsipas wrote in Greek on social media.
“Philosophy teaches us that wisdom comes through understanding our limits and acknowledging our mistakes,” he continued. “In my case, I realised that I was wrong to talk to my father the way I did. Tennis is not just a match, a hit or a performance of a few seconds. It is a long journey full of emotions, pressure and expectations.
“In that moment of frustration, there were many mistakes and errors on the part of my coach and father. As an introvert, I tend to hold in my emotions and build them up until I reach a bursting point. I consider myself patient, so the fact that I reacted this way left me shocked.”
“My behaviour on the (court) was unacceptable, and I feel disappointed that I got to a point where I showed a dark side of myself. When I feel disrespected, judged, or emotionally attacked, I tend to lose control of what comes out of my mouth, which goes against my values as a human being. I lost control and could not see clearly in front of me.”
The world No.11 suffered a surprise 6-4, 6-4 loss to Kei Nishikori in the second round of the ATP Montreal Masters in just 78 minutes.
Apostolos Tsitsipas has developed a reputation on the tour for heavily badgering his son, but it was Stefanos who, after insulting his father during the match and yelling: «Να πας να γ@@@@@ς» (Go get f@@@@@d”), kicked his father off the court.
Speaking to reporters after the match about his defeat and his behaviour, Stefanos stated:
“Masters 1000 matches are important, I need a coach who listens to me as a player,” the 25-year-old said after the match.
“My father has not been very smart in handling some situations, in trying to read what is happening on the court. It has been a poor performance from my father and it’s not the first time. I’m disappointed with him.
“The most important thing for a player is to have direct and good feedback from a coach. The coach is not the one holding a racket. The player is the one trying to execute a game plan. It’s a collaborative work that you put in together. It has to be reciprocal in order for me to try to develop my tennis. It’s something I don’t want to get stuck at that.”
Tsitsipas parted ways with his father in 2023 after he hired former World No. 8 Mark Philippoussis. Tsitsipas then split with the Australian two months later and resumed his partnership with his dad.
The 25-year-old won 11 tour-level titles under his father’s guidance, including the Nitto ATP Finals in 2019. The No. 11 in the PIF ATP Rankings is 35-15 on the year, highlighted by his title at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Monte-Carlo.
