Tsitsipas and his father, the necessary break before a new start with Ivanisevic
In a bid for renewal, the Greek has turned to the former coach of Novak Djokovic
© JB Autissier / Panoramic
For a long time, Stefanos Tsitsipas was inseparable from his father, Apostolos, who followed him around the courts as his coach. But after years of close and intense collaboration, the Greek has decided to break away. It was a personal and professional decision dictated by a relationship that had become, in his own words, ‘toxic’.
“We had reached a point where tennis was taking on too much importance and, sad as it may seem, I think it was even becoming toxic. I had the impression that he was constantly on the lookout, more so than me. And that’s when the pressure started,” the 26-year-old told The Changeover podcast.
Tsitsipas, who fell out of the world’s top 20 after the French Open, is going through a difficult period. For over a year now, he has not reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament. Worse still, he was eliminated in the second round in Paris this year, stunned by Italy’s Matteo Gigante, the first time he has failed to reach the second week at his favourite Grand Slam since 2018. Another setback in a spiral of doubts.
Faced with this slump, the world No 26 decided to call on a prestigious name on the circuit: Goran Ivanisevic. The former Wimbledon winner and ex-coach of Novak Djokovic will begin working with the Greek as of the grass-court season, with the aim of reviving a player with immense potential.
IVANISEVIC: I’m not Harry Potter. I don’t have a magic wand
“I’m not Harry Potter. I don’t have a magic wand. But Stefanos is too talented to be where he is at the moment,” Ivanisevic explained in an interview with Croatian RadioTelevision HRT. ‘If he works hard and our collaboration works, the results will come, with or without me.’
The Croatian technician also emphasised a priority technical point: the choice of racket. Tsitsipas tested 12 of them before settling on a new model designed to give him greater stability.
The new duo will be looking to build on their solid foundations at the Halle tournament (16-22 June), with the hope of a strong showing at Wimbledon. During the second half of the year, Tsitsipas always disappointed (he never reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon and the US Open). But this time, he is going forward with the desire to turn over a new leaf.
