Stefanos Tsitsipas announces new coach after split with Goran Ivanisevic

Stefanos Tsitsipas made a coaching move recently, which was largely unsuccessful.

Ahead of the grass-court season, Tsitsipas hired Goran Ivanisevic as his new coach, a former champion at Wimbledon.

However, things never quite clicked between the pair, and their relationship will be best remembered for Ivanisevic’s public criticisms of Tsitsipas, where he called him the most ‘underprepared’ player he’d seen.

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Winning just one of their three matches together, Ivanisevic and Tsitsipas parted ways ahead of the North American hard-court season.

As the Greek star prepares for his opening match in Toronto, Tsitsipas has announced his new coach.

Stefanos Tsitsipas announces his father Apostolos Tsitsipas as his new coach

Taking to Instagram, Tsitsipas has revealed who will be coaching him now following his split with Ivanisevic.

“Some journeys have a way of circling back to where they began,” he said.

“After some time apart, I’ve reunited with the person who first believed in me – my father.

“I’m grateful to share the court and the road ahead with him once again. We’ve been through every chapter of this journey together, and this next one feels right.

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“Sometimes, coming home is the boldest step forward.”

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Tsitsipas had worked with his father for several years before the pair split upon the conclusion of the 2024 Canadian Open.

Reuniting in Canada one year later, Tsitsipas will be looking to get his season back on track with a big performance in Toronto.

Once ranked number three in the world, the 26-year-old is now barely holding on to a place in the top 30.

Rank Name Age Nationality Points 1 Jannik Sinner 23 Italian 12,030 2 Carlos Alcaraz 22 Spanish 8,600 3 Alexander Zverev 28 German 6,030 10 Lorenzo Musetti 23 Italian 3,195 25 Alexander Bublik 28 Kazakh 2,065 30 Stefanos Tsitsipas 26 Greek 1,825 50 Miomir Kecmanovic 25 Serbian 1,106 Selected players in the ATP top 50

Having enjoyed his best results with his father coaching him, Tsitsipas could be set for a charge back up the rankings before too long.

Tsitsipas will begin his Canadian Open campaign on Wednesday, July 30, taking on Australia’s Christopher O’Connell.

Fans of the Greek star will be hoping he can rediscover his old form with his father alongside him, although it is important to remember why the pair split in the first place…

Why did Stefanos Tsitsipas split with his father in 2024?

Over the years, Tsitsipas often grew frustrated with his father, with those frustrations boiling over on several occasions.

At the 2020 ATP Cup, an angered Tsitsipas lashed out, smashing his racket against his chair and an advertisement board, accidentally hitting his father in the process.

Recovering from that incident, they continued working together before their professional relationship came to an end four years later at the Canadian Open.

Losing his second-round match to Kei Nishikori, Tsitsipas had plenty to say about his father during his post-match press conference.

“I need and I deserve a coach that listens to me and hears my feedback as a player,” said Tsitsipas.

“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 in him. I really don’t know right now if I’d consider any changes, but I’m really disappointed.”

Tsitsipas did choose to make a change, as he announced their split shortly after, in a lengthy social media post.

“I inform you with a heavy heart 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,” he said.

“I was wrong to speak to my father the way I did. Tennis is not just a match, a shot, 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 keep my emotions in and accumulate them until I reach a breaking point. I consider myself patient, so the fact that I reacted in that way left me shocked.

“My behavior on the court was unacceptable, and I feel disappointed that I reached a point that 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, something that goes against my values as a person. I lost control and couldn’t see clearly ahead of me.

“My father has been trying for years to train me, to raise me the right way, and to provide me with knowledge and wisdom, both on and off the court. I thank him for that. I thank him for the sacrifices, the pain, and the hardship he has endured to make this effort succeed. From now on, his role will remain within the boundaries of a father’s role, and only that.”

“My father will continue to travel with me and be there to support me and provide help off the court, as I always wanted.”

A year is a long time in tennis, and it now seems as though Tsitsipas and his father have reconciled and are ready to give it another go.

Only time will tell if we will see Tsitsipas find another gear with his father back in the picture, but it will certainly be something to look out for as the season progresses.

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