On court, Stefanos Tsitsipas can come off as very passionate and even temperamental in some instances. Just recently at the US Open, the Greek player angrily threw his racket during a mixed doubles match alongside his girlfriend Paula Badosa. We also saw him bluntly criticize his father Apostolos’ coaching after his exit in Montreal. However, there is a story behind why the player feels strongly about the sport.

Tsitsipas has been experiencing a rough patch season. With no noteworthy results to show for his efforts, the Greek has been finding it hard to restore his top form. Moreover, the 26-year-old’s family issues have taken an emotional toll on him. Flared with his father Apostolos’s on-court antics, Tsitispas parted ways with him as a coach. But amidst all this, his mother has disclosed how tennis saved his son when he was being bullied in school.

Contrary to his occasional fiery nature, Tsitsipas was quite shy growing up. While seated for a Greek talk show, ‘”To Proino” Tsitsipas’ mother Julia Apostoli notably revealed that the 2021 French Open finalist was targeted during his school years. She highlighted how the Greek star’s introverted personality and his interest in sports led some students to bully him.

“He was a very quiet child and very shy. Because of sports, he missed classes, and the children he had in the class, cannot be called friends, because they treated him very badly. There were two or three kids in his class who beat him quite a bit,” she revealed.

However, the 26-year-old persevered due to his love for tennis and rose above those trying circumstances. Julia said, It was not easy for Stefanos then, but he overcame it because he had tennis and his mind was there to go forward. And that helped him a lot.”

With 11 ATP singles titles, including three Masters 1000 titles, Tsitispas has shown how far he has come from the traumatic bullying days. The world no. 12 has also reached two Grand Slam finals though his form has deserted him this season and it eventually led to him ending his partnership with his father as a coach for a second time.

Tsitsipas announced the decision after getting into a confrontation with his father during his opening-round loss to Kei Nishikori at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Canada on August 8. With the Greek 5-2 in the first set to the Japanese Nishikori, Tsitsipas had an argument with his father and asked him to leave courtside.

Following this he criticized his father’s ability to help him out. He said, “For me, an ATP Master[s] 1000 match is an important match. 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’s not the first time he has done that. I’m really disappointed at him.” 

Shortly afterward he took to X to announce that he gas relived his father of his duties as a coach and wrote that “I prefer to keep my father in his role as a father, and only as a father.”  Tsitsipas first parted ways with his father in 2023 and hired Australian Mark Philippoussis. However, he split with him two months later and resumed his partnership with his dad.

Despite his latest decision, his mother insisted that the family remains closely knit.  She said, “He is a professional and even though he loves his father very much, he understands that he needs to find another coach.” Julia further added, “They had conflicts. And that’s why Stefanos made the decision to change coaches. We don’t see it as a tragedy. We are all together and we are a close family.” 

So while he may get an occasional outburst from Tsitsipas and his behavior off-court may appear reclusive, his mother’s comments clear up why he is so obsessed with tennis and it may just be more than a sport to him.

Apart from making the shocking revelation about Tsitsipas being treated badly in school, Julia also disclosed the catalyst that saved the Greek star’s relationship with Paula Badosa.

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother helped save her son’s relationship with Paula Badosa

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa, you’ve heard about the power couple. What isn’t news is their brief break-up this season, an update that sent shockwaves across the tennis community. However, what is new is the Greek star’s mother’s involvement in their relationship. While their recent family struggles might prompt you to assume the worst of it, surprisingly Julia Apostoli was responsible for helping them rekindle!

Talking on the same show, Tsitsipas’ mom mentioned that she notably stepped in when the duo faced troubles in their relationship. Admitting to siding with Badosa, Julia turned out to be the link between the couple’s reconciliation. “Stefanos is happy, that’s the most important thing. If he’s happy, I’m happy too. There was a difficult time when they broke up, but now they’re in love. I was on Paola’s side, we talked and that’s why they found each other again.”

With such candid and heartfelt admissions, Tsitsipas’ mother will certainly gain traction amongst the ‘Tsitsidosa’ fans and possibly, earn their goodwill as well. What do you think about her revelations though?