Stefanos Tsitsipas grew tired of Apostolos Tstsipas’ dual role and decided to remove him from his coaching staff: “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”.
On Thursday, in Montreal, a straw broke the camel’s back of a relationship with too much friction over the years. Tsitsipas lost 6-4 to Kei Nishikori in the first round of the Canadian Masters 1000, very upset about the change of strings he experienced. During the match, he kicked his father out of his box, who had to follow the match in another part of the stadium.
Then in the mixed zone, Tsitsipas exploded.
“I’ve been complaining about this to my coach for four or five days. That’s why I had that discussion. I need and deserve someone who listens to me and is attentive to my feedback as a player. My father has not been very smart when it comes to handling these situations, and it’s not the first time it’s happened to him. I’m very disappointed in him,” he said.
Twenty-four hours later came the announcement of his coach’s dismissal via his Twitter account.
“My behaviour on the court was unacceptable, and I’m disappointed that it got to a point that showed a darker 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 couldn’t see clearly what was in front of me,” he said.
“My father has tried over the years to educate me, to bring me up in the right way and to give me knowledge and wisdom both on and off the court. I thank him for that. I thank him for the sacrifices, pain and suffering he has endured to make this effort happen. From now on, his role will remain within the confines of his paternal role,” added the 25-year-old.
Tsitsipas expressed that the partnership with his father was successful. With Apostolos in his box, the current world number 11 played the final of Roland Garros 2019 and Australia 2023; he became champion of the ATP Finals (2019), was three-time champion of the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 and reached number three in the world.
A resume that many tennis players would have desired, although some experts like Martina Navratilova or Boris Becker have comment that the Greek could have taken better advantage of his opportunities or that he has not been able to achieve the necessary consistency to stay at the top.
The Greek announced that his father will continue to travel with him on the tour, but in a different role: “He will be there to support me and help me off the court, as I have always wanted him to do”.
The replacement? Even Tsitsipas doesn’t know.
“I’m not sure who will take over, and I’m not in a position to decide yet,” he said.
