A struggling Stefanos Tsitsipas has rekindled his coaching partnership with his father Apostolos, the 26-year-old announced on Instagram. The move comes days after the Greek star announced that he has decided to end his two-month-long partnership with 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanišević.
What Stefanos Tsitsipas Said After Reuniting With His Father Apostolos
On July 30, the former World No. 3 player explained why he had decided to re-hire his father as his coach.
“Some journeys have a way of circling back to where they began,” he wrote in a story on Instagram. “After some time apart, I’ve reunited with the person who first believed in me – my father.”
He continued, “I’m grateful to share the court and the road ahead with him once again. We’ve been through every chapter of this journey together, and this next one feels right.”
“Sometimes, coming home is the boldest step forward,” Tsitsipas asserted.
In another story, he shared a selfie with his father, indicating that the duo has already started working together.
The Greek’s relationship with his father hit a rocky patch in 2023, and he hired former World No. 8 Mark Philippoussis. He parted ways with the Aussie two months later and resumed his collaboration with his father.
Notably, Apostolos had been the two-time major finalist’s head coach throughout his career. However, in August 2024, Tsitsipas again announced that he had decided to end his coaching partnership with his father.
Tsitsipas began working with Ivanišević in May 2025 after winning only two matches in his past four Grand Slam appearances. However, this collaboration too did not last long.
Tsitsipas Recently Hinted That He Would Re-Hire His Father
In a recent interview with SDNA, Tsitsipas affirmed that he had found a new line of communication with his father that would enable to duo to click more effectively.
He said, “We have found a new line of communication and a way to talk to each other, so that such things don’t happen again and such tensions don’t arise again.”
He continued, “I love my father with all my heart and what he has done in recent years is truly exciting. He has helped me in my difficult moments, in my most successful and good moments, my family has always been there. I don’t want to be separated from them.”
“Tensions may arise again, in the sense that I may feel burdened again, but the relationship I have with my father I will not find anywhere else,” he emphasized.
Why Tsitsipas Fell Out With Former Coach Ivanišević
Former World No. 2 Ivanišević, who coached Novak Djokovic to nine of his 24 Grand Slam singles championships, was expected to guide Tsitsipas to better results. However, the Greek continued to struggle, particularly at the Grand Slam level, and has fallen to No. 30 in the world.
At the French Open, he was knocked out by Italian journeyman Matteo Gigante. At Wimbledon, he was trailing little-known Frenchman Valentin Royer by two sets, when he decided to retire with a back injury.
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Following the Wimbledon exit, Ivanišević lambasted the Greek in a public interview and questioned his commitment to the sport.
“It’s simple and it’s not simple,” Ivanišević said of Tsitsipas days after he exited Wimbledon. “I’ve talked to him a lot of times. If he solves some things outside of tennis, then he has a chance and he’ll return to where he belongs, because he’s too good a player to be out of the top 10.”
He continued, “He wants to but he doesn’t do anything. All ‘I want, I want’, but I don’t see that progress. I was shocked. I have never seen a more unprepared player in my life. With this knee, I am three times more fit than him. This is really bad.”
Ivanišević’s comments reportedly created a rift with Tsitsipas, and a few days later, it was announced that the duo had parted ways.
