Stefanos Tsitsipas has been riding a rollercoaster this season, with early exits and surprising defeats marking what’s been a turbulent time in his career. But now, it seems like the Greek star is finally finding his footing again, trying to steer his way out of those challenges. And when it comes to who’s been his rock through it all? Well, Tsitsipas isn’t shy about sharing that it’s his mother who’s leading the charge.

The Greek sensation has started his campaign at the Shanghai Masters on an incredible note. He has emerged victorious in straight sets in the first two matches he has played and is now gearing up to face Daniil Medvedev in the next round. Tsitsipas also visited the venue quite early and witnessed the company of his mother Julia Apostoli, who was supporting him from the stands. Now, the star player has opened up about how her mother helped him in his career as he seemingly keeps the contributions of his father Apostolos, in the backseat. 

Speaking about the presence of his mother in Shanghai, Tsitsipas said, “My mother, she, obviously, raised me with tennis. She’s the reason I play tennis today. She enjoys a lot watching me and coming to support me in all these tournaments. I appreciate that she’s here, and the best thing about her, I guess, is that she has big knowledge of tennis.” For the unversed, Tsitsipas’ mother is also a former tennis player who represented the Soviet Union and Greece. Continuing further, the Greek player also highlighted how her mother plays a different role from his father.

“She doesn’t get too much heavily involved like perhaps my dad did in the past, but she has a good eye for certain things,” he added while speaking to the press. Remember, Tsitsipas’ father has coached him since his childhood and has helped him achieve significantly in his career. However, things took an ugly turn between them during the Canadian Open when the star player decided to part ways with him as his coach. 

Tsitsipas highlighted back then that his father failed to understand his concerns and that there were some differences between them. “I need and I deserve a coach that listens to me and hears my feedback as a player. My father hasn’t been very smart or very good at handling those situations… I’m really disappointed at him,” he said. But these instances do not seem to alter his relationship with his mother and the two have continued to share close bonds. Interestingly, Julia Apostoli has also come to back her son’s actions and behaviors whenever required.

When Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother helped him overcome a feud with Daniil Medvedev

The tennis world has witnessed some major rivalries and the one between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev has been the talk of the town for years. The rivalry between the two players started in 2018 during their first clash at the Miami Open when the former World No. 1 accused his Greek counterpart of calling him a “bu****it Russian.” Medvedev too responded aggressively, calling him a “kid” who doesn’t know how to fight. It was during these tussles when Tsitsipas’ mother decided to enter the fray.

It was after the clash in Florida that Tsitsipas’ mother, who is half Greek and half Russian, waded into the row and attempted to diffuse the tensions between the two players. She claimed that the pair usually get along nicely and often spend time in each other’s company. “It was just a tense moment, it wasn’t personal,” she said back then. “Our families are very close. In fact, Daniil’s parents were in our house two weeks ago for dinner. Stefanos has nothing against Russia.” Now, both players seem to have left the feud behind.

Tsitsipas himself opened up about their current dynamics and said, “He’s someone I respect much more now than before. We’ve had some heated encounters on the court, but all that’s in the past; we had time to talk and reach a common understanding.” For now, it will be interesting to see if the presence of his mother helps Stefanos Tsitsipas in Shanghai as well and he goes on to win the title there. What do you think?