Stefanos Tsitsipas says his father hasn’t been fired, has been given a holiday

US Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas during a match

Stefanos Tsitsipas has banished his father from his player’s box for his impending run at the US Open.

Tsitsipas will instead have new coach Mark Philippoussis in his corner and will hope the Australian proves more of a calming influence.

The Greek No 1 has been known to blow up on those in his box when things aren’t going his way.

Tsitsipas seems to be keen on making a change to that approach as he seeks to get over the line in a Grand Slam.

The Los Cabos champion has hinted that his father’s absence is not permanent but he feels that he needed a holiday having helped guide his career from the outset.

“My father right now, I gave him some time off. He hasn’t had time off since I’m 12 years old,” Tsitsipas said, adding that both his parents were prone to getting emotional during his matches which he hasn’t found helpful.

“So I think for him, I think it’s very healthy to take some time away from the court and feel refreshed again.”

Tsitsipas has enjoyed a decent season but ultimately he would like to have had better results in the bigger tournaments.

“My season has been good. I think I played my best tennis at the Australian Open swing,” he said ahead of the Canadian Open.

“I have big standards in terms of finishing the year strong, and I want to deliver to that promise of mine.

“I want to finish the year and go on a nice vacation and say that I’ve tried my best these last few months to maximize as much as I can and have a big impact on the tour at the end of the year.”

Paula Badosa and Tsitsipas shared photos from their latest dates in New York City on their combined social media account “Tsitsidosa” this week. The two athletes are both in New York for the US Open, the year’s final Major and get to spend more time together at last.

The two appeared to be exploring the metropolis on their day off from training. Photos posted on the “Tsitsidosa” Instagram story showed Tsitsipas and Badosa riding the famous New York City Subway and standing in front of the World Trade Centre and other spots across that city that never sleeps.

A fashionable young couple, the pairing have become popular across social media since announcing their relationship earlier this year.

READ MORE: ‘Only people who know nothing about tennis can write Novak Djokovic off’, says his former coach

Stefanos Tsitsipas

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