Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas hires Goran Ivanišević, Djokovic’s former coach, to revive career in a decisive move to reverse a prolonged slump and re-establish himself among the world’s elite.
The 26-year-old two-time Grand Slam finalist will start working with Ivanišević at the Halle Open in Germany during a trial period. According to reports, Tsitsipas’ father Apostolos Tsitsipas, long a fixture in his coaching box, will not be part of the new setup — at least for now.
Ivanišević, 53, coached Djokovic during one of the most dominant stretches of his career, helping him secure 12 Grand Slam titles between 2019 and 2024. The Croatian also famously won Wimbledon in 2001 as a player and later guided Marin Čilić to the 2014 US Open title. He is expected to work closely with Tsitsipas for much of the season, hoping to help the Greek return to top form.
Tsitsipas confirmed the new coaching partnership on social media. “Excited to start a new chapter,” he posted, hinting at a much-needed reset.
The move follows a difficult stretch for Tsitsipas, who is set to drop out of the ATP top 20 for the first time since 2018 after a second-round exit at this year’s French Open. Injuries, inconsistent performances, and off-court coaching drama — including his very public decision to remove his father from his team in 2024 — have contributed to a decline in results. He has not reached a Grand Slam semifinal since the 2023 Australian Open.
In recent months, Tsitsipas has experimented with equipment changes, briefly switching to a different racket before reverting to his old frame due to back pain. He has also worked with Greece’s Davis Cup captain, Dimitris Chatzinikolaou, in search of stability.
Ivanišević brings not just experience, but a potentially helpful perspective: like Tsitsipas, he lost his first three Grand Slam finals before finally claiming a major title. The hope is that his insight, particularly on mental toughness, serve mechanics, and navigating pressure, can help Tsitsipas break through in the later stages of big tournaments.
The partnership comes at a crossroads moment. Once seen as a future world No. 1, Tsitsipas has struggled to keep pace with the rise of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and finds himself grouped with other “nearly men” of his generation like Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev. While Medvedev has a Grand Slam title to his name, Tsitsipas is still chasing his first.
For both coach and player, this collaboration represents an opportunity to recapture past glory — and perhaps, to rewrite the story of a career that once seemed destined for greatness.
