Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas has opened up about his decision to part ways with his father and long-time coach, Apostolos Tsitsipas. In an interview with Hola, Tsitsipas detailed how his father’s coaching shaped his career but also revealed that their close working relationship often complicated their father-son bond. Tsitsipas hopes that by stepping back from Apostolos as his coach, they can repair and rebuild a healthier relationship off the court.
Apostolos has been instrumental in Stefanos’ career, guiding him to notable achievements, including the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open finals, as well as three Monte-Carlo Masters titles. Despite this success, many critics suggested that Apostolos’ continued involvement was preventing Stefanos from taking the next step toward Grand Slam glory. According to Stefanos, he had long felt the need to explore his own potential without his father’s constant presence, a sentiment that reflects a common challenge in parent-coached careers.
“My father has probably been the core of my entire life, not only in tennis but also in my day-to-day life,” Tsitsipas shared. “He has been a very important figure, but I had already felt on several occasions that need to move forward professionally without him… I also need to explore my own limits, have my own story and embark on a different journey.”
The difficulty of maintaining a normal father-son relationship in the high-stakes world of professional tennis ultimately motivated Tsitsipas to make this change. “It has been very difficult for the two of us to have a natural father-son relationship during all these years of championships,” he admitted. “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’ split from Apostolos comes amid a wave of similar decisions by players aiming to achieve career independence and longevity. Tsitsipas’ former physio previously described Apostolos as controlling, claiming his influence sometimes deterred other players from training with Stefanos. The Tsitsipas family pushed back, suing the physio over these remarks, and while the legal outcome remains uncertain, Stefanos’ recent statements lend some credibility to those claims.
Without Apostolos in his coaching corner, Tsitsipas managed a solid run at the Paris Masters, reaching the quarterfinals before falling to Alexander Zverev. As he heads into the off-season, Tsitsipas is preparing to forge his own path and continue building on a strong 2024 season, hoping to validate his decision to go solo by achieving fresh success in 2025. For now, his journey marks a new chapter, both in his career and in his relationship with his father.
