Stefanos Tsitsipas sacks father Apostolos as coach ahead of Wimbledon
Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas has sacked his father Apostolos as his coach ahead of Wimbledon, stating the decision is completely final following a difficult run of form.
The former world number three confirmed the split before the grass-court grand slam begins in London.
He had previously parted ways with his father only to rehire him later, but insists there is no route back this time.
Looking for a new direction
The two-time grand slam finalist has endured a difficult couple of years, plummeting to 87th in the ATP world rankings.
Further success has eluded the Greek player, who failed to progress beyond the second round of any major tournament last season.
Speaking ahead of Wimbledon, he explained that he had outgrown their professional relationship.
“The older I get, the harder I find it to maintain a stable relationship with my father in a coaching context.” Stefanos Tsitsipas
Seeking a fresh start
He added that while he still loves his father, he feels it is time to find something completely different for his career.
The former French and Australian Open finalist noted that Apostolos had already given everything he possibly could to his development.
Once hailed as a future superstar tipped to replace the sport’s legendary ‘Big Three’, the right-hander’s progress has severely stalled.
Previous coaching struggles
He attempted to change his setup last year by hiring former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic.
However, that coaching relationship collapsed after just two months and ended with highly critical remarks from the Croatian.
Ivanisevic suggested at the time that the struggling star needed to solve personal issues outside of tennis before he could return to the top.
The former top-10 mainstay will now navigate the upcoming grass-court campaign on his own.