After hinting at it following the loss to Kei Nishikori at the 2024 Canadian Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas made it official: his father will not be his coach from now on.
The relationship between Stefanos and Apostolos Tsitsipas as a player-coach duo has been fragmented for a while. The best indicator of that was his poor play. He's not a bad player, nor did he forget to play tennis, but it's clear that there was a lot of confusion as to how he should play.
The disconnect got worse with time as his level dropped further and further. It's not that the relationship was always as fragmented as it is now, but things change, people evolve, and this relationship wasn't working.
The loss to Nishikori was shocking, and after the match, Tsitsipas admitted that he wasn't happy with the way 'his coach' was acting. He didn't say he was parting ways with his father as coach, but it was heavily implied as something in consideration.
He seemed like a person who had had enough, and his announcement confirms that he's indeed had enough. After years of various people suggesting that he should find a new coach, Tsitsipas finally reached the same conclusion.
The announcement came in Greek on social media, where he informed everybody that he would be demoting his father to being only his father and not his coach on top of everything.
It was a deeply personal statement by Tsitsipas, who loves his father dearly. He has spoken many times of the sacrifices he made for him, and this announcement clearly shows that.
"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, and only as a father."
"My father will continue to travel with me and be there to support me and provide assistance off the field, as I have always wanted."
The announcement further states that Tsitsipas doesn't know who will take his father's place. It's not a decision he will make now, but for now, his father will continue to travel with him and provide support.
Some might raise an eyebrow at that, because a clean break might have been best for the Greek player, but this wasn't an easy decision for Tsitsipas.
"I have trusted my father with the coaching role for so many years, and I consider our partnership to be successful. I'm not sure who will take his place, and I'm not in a position to decide yet."
"What I do know is that it is time to let this chapter and this phase close, and try to write a new one. We've both agreed to that and hope to focus on our human side first, then the rest."
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