Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals why he is ‘really disappointed’ with his father and coach after Montreal exit
Stefanos Tsitsipas has hit out at his father and coach, Apostolos, after the Greek lost his opening match at the Canadian Open in Montreal.
Tsitsipas was beaten by former world No.3 Kei Nishikori, 6-4 6-4, who becomes the third lowest ranked player in history to reach the last-16 of a Masters 1000 event after dropping outside the top 500 following a long spell of injury woes.
After his shock defeat in Montreal, Tsitsipas did not hold back on his father/coach when analysing the match, “I’ve already been complaining to my coach about it [not being able to perform with his forehand] for the last four or five days. That was also the reason why I had a confrontation with him during the match, I’m not used to it.”
The 25-year-old continued, “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.”
Tsitsipas and his father have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, with the pair actually ending their professional relationship in 2023.
This led to Tsitsipas working with former Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis for a period before reuniting with his father.
Despite the rant about his father’s coaching techniques, Tsitsipas is unsure about whether this could lead to any changes within his current setup, “I really don’t know right now if I’d consider any changes, but I’m really disappointed. The most important thing for a player is to have direct and good feedback from a coach.
“The coach is not the one holding a racket. The player is the one trying to execute a game plan. It’s a collaborative work that you put in together. It has to be reciprocal in order for me to try to develop my tennis. It’s something I don’t want to get stuck at that.”
Although Tsitsipas has lost in his first match at the Canadian Open, the current World No.11 will not drop any ranking points as he lost at the same round last year.
Inside the baseline…
Stefanos Tsitsipas was one of many big name casualties to have been knocked out of the ATP 1000 draw in Montreal yesterday, with Kei Nishikori really showcasing some of his previous hits against the Greek. Although a defeat is always disappointing and Tsitsipas may be annoyed with the lack of support shown by his team, to publically slam your father/coach in the way that he has seems a bit much and is probably not going to do much for his form in the coming weeks.
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