Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas has finally shed light on his abrupt split with former coach Goran Ivanisevic. The high-profile pairing ended shortly after a disappointing early exit at Wimbledon last year.
Fans speculated heavily about the sudden change in the coaching box at the time. The actual fallout was far messier and deeper than anyone realized. A few bad weeks on the ATP Tour completely fractured a partnership that looked perfect on paper.
The Breaking Point Between Tsitsipas and Ivanisevic at Wimbledon
Ivanisevic did not hold back in his assessment of his former ward. The 2001 Wimbledon champion and longtime coach to Novak Djokovic launched a stunning public critique of the Greek star. He called Tsitsipas the most poorly prepared player he had ever seen.
The 54-year-old coach doubled down on his comments shortly after the split. He even claimed he was three times as fit as the top-tier athlete despite a bad knee. Tsitsipas views the public dressing down as an unnecessary low blow during a highly vulnerable moment in his career.
“I didn’t see any point in it,” Tsitsipas said in a recent interview with The Times. “If it was a way of him pushing me into working harder and getting my shit together, it was definitely not the right tactic. I was really hurt.”
Tsitsipas felt particularly betrayed because he claims the harsh criticism lacked the necessary context. He points to a lingering physical issue that completely derailed his preparation leading up to the grass-court major.
“I never expected that a coach could do that to me, and the worst thing is what he said was not true,” Tsitsipas explained. “I was not fit because I had been injured. I hadn’t been practising properly for over two weeks.”
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He noted that the timing of the critique made it sting even worse. “It was like he kicked me when I was already down,” he added.
Ivanisevic, who helped Djokovic win multiple Grand Slams, recently pointed out what went wrong in his association with Tsitsipas. According to him, the issue was more mental than about fitness or form.
“I knew after the second day of training [that it would not succeed],” Ivanisevic said during a recent interview with Sportklub. “When he came to Zagreb to try rackets, I understood that it wouldn’t work out. In the end, I didn’t say anything bad; everything I stated was true and proved to be so.”
“After Wimbledon, I advised him to take four months off because it wasn’t just a physical issue but also mental. He remains a phenomenal player, he was and still is, but those are just details. In today’s tennis, you can’t compete without being mentally prepared,” he said.
Tsitsipas Returns to Familiar Coaching Roots
Following the ugly split in London, Tsitsipas made the comfortable choice and rehired his father. Apostolos Tsitsipas is back in the primary coaching seat for the foreseeable future. Returning to Apostolos brought immediate emotional stability to the camp. It also resulted in a significant discount on the coaching payroll. “I pay him in desserts,” Tsitsipas joked during a recent meal.
Tsitsipas, ranked 49th in the world, has had a mixed start to the year, with an 11-7 record. He will look to turn the tables at the 2026 Monte-Carlo Masters, a tournament he has won thrice.
