In an intimate Mother’s Day feature, a revelation from Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother has made us all emotional. Julia Apostoli, Tsitsipas’ mother, explored the depth of her personal journey and the moments that shaped her for the future. Talking about the pivotal moment of her life in an interview with her son, Julia pointed out the exact moment when she knew that her childhood was gone forever.

When Tsitsipas asks, “When did you realize you were no longer a child?” Julia reflects somberly and replies, “When my father died. I was 18 years old, I realized.” Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother, who has been a professional tennis player herself, was born to an athletic father as well. But unlike tennis, Sergei Salnikov, Julia’s father’s interest was in football.

With a blend of Greek and Russian heritage, Salnikov played a significant part in the Soviet Association football national team. Even before Julia was born, Salnikov had already achieved his gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics. When it came to Julia, her passion lay in tennis, but only after giving up on her diving career. When asked how tennis came into her life, she exclaimed, “Accidentally!”

“I was supposed to be a diver. I was taking my diving lessons in Dynamo, Moscow. The club I was playing tennis after and since I broke my arm and I didn’t want to participate in practices the coach I had in diving she was very very strict,” Julia Apostoli told her son.

Then at the age of 16, she made her debut in the tennis world by representing the Soviet Union in the early 1980s and was even a gold medalist at the 1984 Friendship Games. However, soon after her debut, her father passed away.

And Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother’s life took a significant shift. Although she continued her journey in tennis and played until 1992, as she mentioned, the loss of her father thrust her into adulthood. But when it came to raising her own children, she made sure to be with them and inspire them as much as possible. And recently, Tsitsipas acknowledged how his mother was a big influence on his life.

Stefanos Tsitsipas talks about the qualities that he learned from his mother

Stefanos Tsitsipas once admitted that there was a time when he grew apart from his parents. With angry outbursts and frustrations on-court, his relationship with his parents faced a bumpy road a few years ago. But now it seems to be a thing of the past. Tsitsipas, who now has “a great relationship” with his parents, revealed the significant role her mother played in making him a successful tennis player.

“Discipline, hard work, respect for any opponent I meet on the court. She was also a big influence in me always staying humble and not thinking too much about myself. My mother definitely gave a lot for my upbringing,” he said in an interview.

Stefanos Tsitsipas also added that his introverted nature is also a gift from his mother. And today, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, we not only acknowledge his mother’s contribution to his career and life, but we also learn more about the sacrifices that she made as a child as well.