Goran Ivanisevic releases his first statement after splitting with Stefanos Tsitsipas

Goran Ivanisevic and Stefanos Tsitsipas’ coaching relationship was short-lived as the pair parted ways after two months working together.

Ahead of the grass-court season, Tsitsipas hired Ivanisevic as his coach, looking to learn from the former Wimbledon champion.

Winning just one match together (in Halle), Tsitsipas retired injured against Valentin Royer in the first round of Wimbledon.

Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images

The Croat was critical of his Greek student after the match, as Ivanisevic claimed Tsitsipas was the most ‘unprepared’ player he’d ever seen.

Unsurprisingly, their relationship didn’t last long after that, as Tsitsipas and Ivanisevic have now split ahead of the North American hard-court swing.

Releasing his first statement since the split, Ivanisevic has shared his thoughts on the decision.

Goran Ivanisevic says splitting with Stefanos Tsitsipas is the ‘right decision’

Releasing a statement to The Athletic, Ivanisevic wished Tsitsipas the best for the future.

Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images

“We had a nice conversation yesterday. Nothing bad,” said Ivanisevic.

“He is going back to his father, back to his roots.

More Tennis News

“He had his best results with his father; his father knows him the best, so I agree that this is the right decision.

“I hope he gets back where he belongs, and wish him all the best for the future.”

Ivanisevic had nothing but nice things to say about Tsitsipas this time around, as did the Greek star, who announced their split on Instagram.

Photo by Tim Clayton/Getty Images

“Working with Goran Ivanisevic was a brief but intense experience and a truly valuable chapter in my journey,” he said.

“I’m thankful for the time, effort, and energy he dedicated to me and my team. As we are now following our separate ways, I have only respect for Goran – not just for what he’s achieved in tennis, but also for who he is as a person.

“I wish him nothing but the very best moving forward.”

Tsitsipas will now try to put the coaching saga behind him and focus his attention on the upcoming hard-court tournaments in North America.

First up is a trip to Toronto for the Canadian Open, where Tsitsipas will compete as the number 23 seed.

For Ivanisevic, it’s a trip back to the drawing board, as for the second time this year, he finds himself out of work.

Goran Ivanisevic’s coaching timeline

Ivanisevic has enjoyed a stellar coaching career, winning ten Grand Slam titles, alongside Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic.

Time Player coached Notable results 2013-2016 Marin Cilic 2014 US Open – Winner 2016-2017 Tomas Berdych 2016 Shenzhen Open – Winner 2018-2019 Milos Raonic – 2019-2024 Novak Djokovic Nine Grand Slams – Winner 2025 Elena Rybakina – 2025 Stefanos Tsitsipas – Goran Ivanisevic’s coaching timeline

However, since departing Djokovic’s team in 2024, Ivanisevic has struggled, enduring two tricky stints with former Grand Slam finalists.

Ivanisevic’s first experience coaching on the WTA Tour was largely unsuccessful as he left Elena Rybakina’s team shortly after the Australian Open, where the Kazakh lost in the fourth round.

The Croat was reportedly unhappy with the return of Stefano Vukov to Elena Rybakina’s setup, who had been banned from attending events due to his conduct.

Making a swift return to coaching, Ivanisevic joined Tsitsipas’ team, guiding him at the Halle Open and Wimbledon.

Now unemployed once again, the 53-year-old may spend some time reflecting on his 2025 campaign, during which he has won seven of his 11 matches as a coach.

Only time will tell if we will see Ivanisevic return to coaching again, but there are certainly a fair few players who could do with some help.

World number three Alexander Zverev had been training with Toni Nadal recently, but it doesn’t seem like the pair are entering an official relationship, so there could be a window of opportunity for Ivanisevic to join the German star.

There is, of course, also a chance we see Ivanisevic return to work alongside Djokovic, as the pair enjoyed great success together and maintain a good relationship to this day.

Whatever happens, it will be interesting to see where one of the best coaches in the world ends up next.

Click here to read article