Stefanos Tsitsipas has a new perspective on dating. The Greek recently dropped a blunt assessment of inter-tour romance, prompting a swift reaction from his former girlfriend Paula Badosa. The two, once among the sport’s most talked-about couples, openly chronicled their relationship online and supported each other at tournaments, but that chapter is now behind them.
Why Stefanos Tsitsipas Warns Against Dating Fellow Tennis Players
Following his disappointing early exits at the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas chose to take part in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) event in Nîmes. While there, Tsitsipas was asked to choose between a “tennis girlfriend” and a “non-tennis girlfriend,” and the 27-year-old did not hesitate.
“Non-tennis girlfriend,” Tsitsipas said. “Trust me. Even if you don’t want to admit there’s competitiveness, there’s always competitiveness.”
During the interaction, the former world No. 3 also made it clear that not even $100 million could tempt him to quit tennis and rated his love for clay courts a strong nine out of 10.
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Badosa caught wind of the clip and responded with a string of laughing emojis.
Badosa and Tsitsipas began their relationship around the 2023 French Open, and the couple quickly became a fixture on the tour. The “Tsitsidosa” era continued until the Spaniard announced their initial split in May 2024. However, the pair reunited just weeks later in Paris ahead of Roland Garros. They even signed up to play mixed doubles together before weather delays forced them to withdraw. The reunion ultimately fizzled out by July 2025.
Why Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Relationship Was ‘Complicated’
While neither player publicly addressed the reasons behind their split, Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother, Julia, shared an insight into their “complicated” dynamic in December last year. She suggested that the breakup took a significant emotional toll on the Greek, adding that Badosa had distracted him from tennis.
“Their relationship was complicated from beginning to end. On the one hand, she distracted him from tennis, and on the other hand, the breakup hit him hard. I was a professional tennis player and I thought that tennis players should not react so emotionally. Their relationship was not ordinary, everyday. They were in a long distance relationship,” she told Serbian outlet Telegraf.
Tsitsipas appears to have moved on since then, with reports linking him to Kristen Thoms, a former tennis player turned model. He sparked the rumors after sharing glimpses of his time with the American during a trip to Namibia last year.
On the tennis front, Tsitsipas will kick off his campaign at the Monte-Carlo Masters against Francisco Cerúndolo. A three-time champion at the prestigious event, the 27-year-old will be aiming for yet another deep run in Monaco. Paula Badosa, meanwhile, was most recently in action at the Charleston Open, where she reached the third round before losing to Anna Kalinskaya.
