Stefanos Tsitsipas’ ‘harmful’ relationship with his father revealed by former team member after coaching split

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ relationship with his father Apostolos had “not been sustainable for years” before their coaching split, the Greek’s former physiotherapist Jerome Bianchi has revealed. 

Bianchi described the pair’s “way of operating” as “harmful” and revealed Tsitsipas’ mother intervened when he had wanted to remove his father from his coaching role earlier.

Tsitsipas announced he would be longer be coached by his father following his loss to Kei Nishikori in his opening match at the Canadian Open last month. He had been coached by Apostolos since his childhood.

During the first set of the defeat to Nishikori, the 25-year-old shouted at Apostolos, who was sitting in his coaching box at the side of the court, and told him to “immediately leave” — which he did.

When speaking to reporters after the match, Tsitsipas slammed his father’s coaching approach by saying he “hasn’t been very smart or very good” at listening to his feedback and added he was “really disappointed at him.”

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The world No 11 has been working with Greece’s Davis Cup captain, Dimitris Hadjinikolaou, while he searches for a new full-time coach.

In his two tournaments since the split, Tsitsipas lost in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters to Jack Draper and the first round of the US Open to Thanasi Kokkinakis.

In an interview with L’Equipe, Bianchi — Tsitsipas’ long-time former physio — shed light on the player-coach dynamic he witnessed between Tsitsipas and his father.

“Their relationship has not been sustainable for years, their way of operating is harmful,” Bianchi explained.

“Every time Stefanos wanted to break up with his father, his mother ran and said, ‘You can’t do this to him, he dedicated his life to you’. And he found himself feeling guilty.

“He realises that he is getting on in age and that his career has not been what it should have been.”

Bianchi also divulged that some players stopped training with Tsitsipas because his father is a “chatterbox” who “wants to take up all the space and leaves him zero oxygen.”

In a lengthy and emotional statement confirming the coaching split, Tsitsipas apologised and expressed regret over the “unacceptable” way he had behaved towards his father.

“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that my collaboration with my father as a coach has come to an end,” said the two-time Grand Slam finalist. “I prefer to keep my father in his role as a father, and only as a father.

“Philosophy teaches us that wisdom comes through understanding our limits and acknowledging our mistakes. In my case, I realised that I was wrong to talk to my father the way I did.

“Tennis is not just a match, a hit or a performance of a few seconds. It is a long journey full of emotions, pressure and expectations. In that moment of frustration, there were many mistakes and errors on the part of my coach and father.

“As an introvert, I tend to hold in my emotions and build them up until I reach a bursting point. I consider myself patient, so the fact that I reacted this way left me shocked.

“My behaviour on the pitch was unacceptable, and I feel disappointed that I got to a point where I showed a dark side of myself.

“When I feel disrespected, judged, or emotionally attacked, I tend to lose control of what comes out of my mouth, which goes against my values as a human being. I lost control and could not see clearly in front of me.

“My father has been trying for the last few years to train me, raise me the right way and provide me with knowledge and wisdom, both on and off the field. I thank him for that.

“I thank him for the sacrifices, pain and suffering he has endured to make this endeavour a success. From now on, his role will remain within the continues of the father role, and that alone.”

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