Ups and downs are part and parcel of a sportsperson’s career. Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas has been experiencing massive peaks and troughs, with his career going downhill over the past few months. Additionally, he also faced a major setback after he split with his father on the professional front. Tsitsipas’ father had been coaching him since his childhood, but the two split back in August last year. Months after ending the player-coach relationship, the Greek star highlighted the current equation that he shares with Apostolos, his father.

Despite a change in his coaching team, the Greek star had no change in his fortunes as his poor performances continued. In the recently concluded Australian Open, Tsitsipas exited in the opening round, losing against Alex Michelsen of the United States. During the Caroline Garcia’s Tennis Insiders podcast, the Greek star talked about his relationship with his father after the two parted ways professionally.

Tsitsipas said, “I think a lot of things have changed outside of my tennis that have really affected my level. So I’ve been thinking about this change that I’ve had with my father, who has been with me since the beginning. Obviously, we’ve had a lot of tension along the way. I think it’s completely normal, I wouldn’t think otherwise. He’s been a great support to me and he’s a very emotional person. Some people don’t realize that he’s too emotional a parent to be around.”

At the Canadian Open last year, Tsitsipas suffered a shock defeat against Kei Nishikori, who was the world No. 576 then. And making a comeback from his lengthy injury setback, while bowing out in the round of 32 there, proved to be a turning point in the professional relationship between Tsitsipas and his father, with public criticism to add. As a result, the two decided to part ways soon after the tournament. The Greek star is currently being coached by Dimitris Chatzinikolaou, who was initially appointed temporarily, but Tsitsipas continues to work with him.

Soon after Tsitsipas announced the separation of his father as his coach, he had some scathing remarks about him. The World Number. 13 detailed what went wrong with their relationship.

Stefanos Tsitsipas on his father: “I deserve a coach that listens to me”

The cracks in their relationship were felt after Tsitsipas hinted that his father followed rigorous training methods and wasn’t ear to his suggestions. Additionally, at the tournaments, he could be seen shouting toward his son when things didn’t go his way and he even received code violations on many occasions. As a result, Tsitsipas split with him.

He revealed, “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… 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.”

Despite their professional setback, the two maintain a healthy relationship off the court. While Tsitsipas may not have had the best of starts to the 2025 season, he would look to come back stronger and get his campaign back on track soon.