Stefanos Tsitsipas’ brutal criticism of his dad’s coaching highlighted his need for a change
Stefanos Tsitsipas has gone backwards and is not the same player he was before. The Greek’s unsparing criticism of his father Apostolos’ coaching after his early exit in Montreal underlined his need for a change.
This may seem a harsh assessment for a player who is ranked 11th in the world and won the Monte Carlo Masters for the third time in April.
It is, though, a view shared by some tennis analysts and observers, as well as fans who want to see the Greek star return to the heights he hit previously. His former fitness coach has also questioned his commitment.
In his opening match at the Canadian Open in Montreal, Tsitsipas slumped to a 4-6, 4-6 defeat to Kei Nishikori, who is currently ranked 576th and had won just two of his six previous matches this year.
Nishikori is a former world No 4 and US Open runner-up and it is fantastic to see him back, but both Tsitsipas’ display and the routine nature of the match were concerning.
Tennis News
How Carlos Alcaraz can overtake Novak Djokovic in the ATP Rankings before the US Open
Much of the analysis of Tsitsipas’ game centres around issues on his backhand side, but the Greek singled out his struggles with his forehand after the match and brutally called out the deficiencies he feels his father Apostolos has as a coach.
“I’ve already been complaining to my coach about it (the forehand) for the last four-five days,” the 25-year-old explained in his press conference. “That was also the reason why I had a confrontation with him during the match, I’m not used to it.
“For me, an ATP Masters 1000 match is an important match. I need and I deserve a coach that listens to me and hears my feedback as a player.
“My father hasn’t been very smart or very good at handling those situations, it’s not the first time he has done that. I’m really disappointed at him.
“I really don’t know right now if I’d consider any changes, but I’m really disappointed. The most important thing for a player is to have direct and good feedback from a coach. The coach is not the one holding a racket. The player is the one trying to execute a game plan.”
A difficult decision
Tsitsipas had expressed uncertainty over whether he would make a change to his coaching setup, before announcing he would no longer be working with his father the next day.
In recent years, many had called for Tsitsipas to drop his father as his coach and replace him, or at least add another voice to his team.
Tsitsipas was coached by former Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis in two separate spells before ending his collaboration with the Australian in August last year.
Apostolos Tsitispas deserves huge praise for his role in his son’s rise to the sport, having coached him since his childhood, but it seems he took the 25-year-old as far as he could. The Greek has now made the undoubtedly difficult move to fire his 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,” Tsitsipas said in a statement.
“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.”
Tsitsipas’ results have by no means been alarming this year: he holds a healthy 35-15 record, won the Monte Carlo Masters and was a finalist at the Barcelona Open. He had a typically strong clay-court season and is just outside the top 10 in the ATP Rankings.
The 25-year-old’s current level is, however, below that of the player who made two Grand Slam finals, won the ATP Finals and also reached a career-high ranking of world No 3 in 2021.
Questions over work ethic
The question is, perhaps, how badly does Tsitsipas want to maximise his potential, get back into the top five and challenge for the biggest titles more consistently?
Christos Fiotakis is a fitness coach who worked with Tsitsipas for several years before joining in a full-time capacity for the 2024 season.
The Greek left Tsitsipas’ team in June and did not hold back in questioning his compatriot’s dedication.
“The results and goals I had set as a coach did not come,” Fiotakis said in an interview with SDNA.
“However, we got Stefanos back on his feet, back to being a healthy athlete and competing at a high level after his injury. Beyond that there are some things that are out of my control.
“The team atmosphere doesn’t match my energy and, unfortunately, we have other priorities. I wish him, however, the best, that he may always be healthy.
“I am not satisfied with Stefanos’ work ethics. Right now, I don’t think his ultimate focus is on playing tennis and getting to the top of the rankings or winning Grand Slams.
“So that’s why I too can’t travel for seven months straight, with only 25 days at home, when the goals are not high and I’m traveling just to travel.”
Tsitsipas responded to Fiotakis and refuted the suggestion he does not work hard enough: “It was his decision to come out and say what he said.
“I work hard every day and when I hear someone say that I’m not putting in the work and that I’m not dedicated and focused on what I’m doing, it seems a little strange to me.
“All I do all day is live and breathe tennis. Others may have a different view of what I do, I won’t go against it. It is his right to believe anything about me.
Injuries
It is important not to overlook the role injuries have played in stalling Tsitsipas’ progress, with the extent of this factor difficult to measure.
The most significant physical issue Tsitsipas has had to contend with was the elbow injury that required surgery in November 2021, with the Greek revealing he had even considered retiring from the sport.
“I remember being at the ATP Finals a few days before the surgery and I was thinking of quitting,” Tsitsipas said in 2022.
“I didn’t think that anybody would be able to help me heal and get back to where I wanted. It was a very difficult moment that I had to go through. I was in a very bad place.”
Elbow injuries can be particularly debilitating for tennis players, while Tsitsipas also sustained a back injury that forced him to pull out at last year’s ATP Finals.
Greg Rusedski’s damning verdict
After Tsitsipas lost to Jannik Sinner at the 2023 ATP Finals, Greg Rusedski contrasted the trajectory of the two players and argued the Greek had regressed in a number of areas.
“You look at both players: Sinner has improved out of sight, Tsitsipas has gone backwards,” he told Amazon Prime Video. “The backhand isn’t very good. Sinner basically knows exactly what he needs to do to beat this man and it was very one-sided.
“I think the first six months of the year (2023), he (Tsitsipas) was brilliant, down under in Australia he played some of the best tennis he’s played in his life. Mark Philippoussis comes back to the team, he wins in [Los] Cabos.
“And then all of a sudden, that relationship broke down, there wasn’t the communication that needed to be there and he isn’t the player he once was. The backhand slice has gotten worse, the block [return] has gotten worse, the second serve — he doesn’t have the placement.”
The former world No 4 and US Open finalist also made a prediction for this year that proved to be pretty accurate.
“I’m sorry, he’s not the player he was at the beginning of the [2023] season,” Rusedski continued.
“And if he doesn’t make those improvements at the beginning of 2024, he won’t be in the top 10 to start the year – he’s gonna go out early in Australia.”
Tsitsipas lost in the fourth round of the 2024 Australian Open, having reached the semi-finals or better in four of the previous five years. He also exited the top 10 for the first time since April 2019 in February this year.
What next for Tsitsipas?
Tsitsipas will look to bounce back from the disappointment of his Montreal defeat at the Cincinnati Masters, which will begin on August 13.
The 11-time ATP titlist was a runner-up at the Masters 1000 tournament in 2022, losing to Borna Coric. He reached the third round in Cincinnati last year and was beaten by Hubert Hurkacz.
