Stefanos Tsitsipas is back in the news once again for all the wrong reasons. After a heated exchange yesterday at the Canadian Open, the Greek tennis star fired his father as his coach. Tsitsipas accused his father of not taking his feedback seriously while he was struggling with his forehand, which became a reason for his exit from the Canadian Open. As the 25-year-old bowed out of the tournament, he announced the end of his professional relationship with his father, Apostolos.

Yesterday, the Greek star went down against Japan’s Kei Nishikori in straight sets in the second round of the tournament in Montreal. During the match, he made several unforced errors, mostly with his forehand, and blamed his father for his struggles. As a result, Tsitsipas took to social media to announce the end of his father’s reign as his coach.

Tsitsipas mentioned, “It is with a heavy heart that I inform you 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. Philosophy teaches us that wisdom comes through understanding our limits and acknowledging our mistakes. In my case, I realized that I was wrong to talk to my father the way I did.”

During their partnership, Tsitsipas won many big titles, including the ATP Masters 1000 titles. Thus, fans weren’t happy with his abrupt decision and slammed Tsitsipas for firing his father as his coach.

Stefanos Tsitsipas asked to ‘find a psychiatrist first’

The Greek fans expressed anger over the end of the partnership between Stefanos and Apostolos Tsitsipas. While some called the decision naive, others felt that Tsitsipas was taking things for granted. One of the fans took to Twitter and strongly objected to Tsitsipas’ decision, saying, “You are very small Stefanos. Your mentality destroyed your career.”

Unlike many tennis greats, Tsitsipas was born with a silver spoon and had the best of facilities while growing up. As a result, some fans felt that he didn’t have the respect for it, and commented, “You were probably raised right. You act like a spoiled rich kid who lives out of place and out of society. That’s what it looks like. You’ll never be as great as Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic if you don’t grow as a person. So read not only tennis.”

Tsitsipas’ outburst yesterday went as follows – “I need and deserve a coach who listens to my feedback as a player. My father has not been very smart or very good at managing those situations.” And the rumors of separation have clearly become truth.

Further, some fans attacked Tsitsipas directly with brutal comments. While one Twitter user asked him to ‘find a psychiatrist first’ before he finds a coach, another fan said, “You are the ultimate example to avoid. Earn as much as you want as an athlete because you worked. But you will remain small as a person. You need help.”

On the other hand, a critic pointed out the talent that Tsitsipas possessed. However, he felt that Tsitsipas needed proper guidance on the mental aspect of his game to take his talent to the next level. The comment read, “I am one of your critics for your innate behavior, I hope you find a worthy coach to highlight your talent and a valuable psychological support from a worthy therapist… good luck.”

Interestingly, once upon a time, the Greek player had stated how his tennis life was unimaginable without Apostolos. Additionally, he admitted that he understood how hard things might be fo rhis dad as well. “Parents can get emotional sometimes, and I completely understand that. I’m not a parent myself, but I can imagine how difficult it can be at times seeing your child give it their all and to be going through so much during a match.”

But despite looking at each other’s POV, things have come crashing down. With the US Open coming up in a few weeks, Tsitsipas will have his task cut out. Can he make a strong comeback in the upcoming tournaments? Let us know your views in the comments below.