Stefanos Tsitsipas is not going to be coached by Mark Philippoussis at this year's Roland Garros after they split.
The news that Tsitsipas and Philippoussis parted ways became public when the Australia former player announced it on social media with a brief post. He thanked the player for giving him a chance and wished him good luck.
The first question Tsitsipas got in his press conference was about the split and the Greek number one revealed that the decision to part ways was a mutual one. His response would indicate that Tsitsipas likely initiated the split.
Well, it was a mutual decision. We spent countless of hours on the phone talking a few weeks ago. It's never easy having two coaches on the court. I know they are there to help and give the best they can, and provide for me. But sometimes it can get quite kind of hectic having two coaches share opinions. I'm at a phase of my career in life where I need one coach that can provide all the information, all the analysis, all of the things that I'm looking for to improve my game. Less is more, in my opinion.
The thinking by Tsitispas is correct as many have advocated for him to have a focused coaching staff, one which doesn't involve his parents. Unfortunately, Tsitsipas opted to keep his father as the primary coach, something many fans have lobbied him to change in the past few years.
I feel like there are a lot of people I could bring in my team that could help for sure by sharing their thoughts and opinions about what can I do better and how can I do it better. But it is very important to stick with few people,in my opinion, and make that work, because when you have a lot of people around you, it can get very draining for your mental energy, too. So that is also one of the reasons.
Despite the coaching setup not working out with the former Australian player, Tsitipas did benefit from his tutelage. His serve has improved quite a bit since Philippoussis joined the team. He also improved his play on grass as well, something the Australian was noted for. He also praised him as a person who will continue to have his back in the future.
I love Mark. He's an amazing person, and we still stay in touch with him very often. I guess, you know, that's how it's going to be from now on, and I'm happy with this decision. Of course, I'm sure he supports me, and he's there for me whenever I need anything. That's it
Tsitsipas will kick off his Roland Garros against Jiri Vesely with a tricky second-round clash against Carballes Baena looming. He can become number one in the world with a good result though he needs certain things to happen as well.
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