Stefanos Tsitsipas opened up on his decision to axe his dad as his coach (Image: Getty)
has shed light on the heartbreaking reason he axed his dad from his team.
The world No. 12 had been coached by his father Apostolos on and off since turning pro, but they often drew attention for the wrong reasons, arguing during matches.
Tsitsipas and has now explained his decision to fire his dad.
Tsitsipas and his father’s working relationship had long been under the microscope before they professionally parted ways. The Greek star told his dad to “shut up” during last year’s French Open.
A few years ago, Tsitsipas smacked a ball towards his box after hearing chatter from his family. And during the ATP Cup in 2020, Tsitsipas’ mum told him off when he smashed a racket next to his dad.
During last year’s Canadian Open, things came to a head when the 26-year-old crashed out in the first round and . He added: “My father hasn’t been very smart or very good at handling those situations.”
A day later, the former world No. 3 announced his dad would no longer be coaching him and expressed regret over his post-match comments.
Five months after making the dramatic decision to terminate their partnership, Tsitsipas has now opened up on why he felt it was time to let his dad walk away.
Apostolos Tsitsipas stopped coaching Stefanos last August (Image: Getty)
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“I’ve chosen to stop collaborating with my father this year because I saw a lot of things that were tiring to him,” the 11-time title winner told the Tennis Insider podcast, hosted by WTA star Caroline Garcia.
“He was not anymore in the same energy levels as he used to be. Perhaps he was making mistakes more often than he normally was. And I was already thinking of that for years, actually.”
It’s something Tsitsipas considered for a while. He added: “I wanted to take my own route already for years now, but it was just difficult to disconnect and let go of my father, who has done so much for me”
Tsitsipas has another emotional reason for ending their coaching partnership, as he explained how their father-son relationship suffered. “I’m in touch with him and we talk,” he continued.
“And I really want him to be my father because I feel like through our relationship in tennis, things have kind of gotten mixed up. And I’ve lost that value of the father that I want to have in my personal everyday life.
“It has become more of a business time of feeling, transactional feeling I’ve had with my dad. And what I mean by transactional, I feel like it feels more that he’s integrated into my tennis than he’s integrated into being a father to me.
“And that’s something that also has upset me over the last few years. Because I always wanted to have a dad by my side.”
Tsitsipas also believes his dad never would’ve stepped away himself. “His personality will never admit that he’s suffering, or that he’s in a bad situation or a bad feeling,” he said.
“And if he doesn’t do it, I have to do it for him. It’s for his own good and for his own protection at the end of the day.”
Tsitsipas still talks highly of Apostolos both as a father and a coach. Shortly after firing his dad, he started working with Dimitris Chatzinikolaou. But the world No. 12 had a tough start to the season, losing his opening match at the .