Novak Djokovic will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round at Wimbledon, renewing a rivalry that has included on-court battles and off-court controversies involving Tsitsipas’ father and former coach, Apostolos Tsitsipas.
Djokovic Dominates Head-to-Head
Djokovic holds a commanding 12-2 record against Tsitsipas, including victories in the 2021 French Open final and the 2023 Australian Open final. The Serb advanced to this match after defeating Wu Yibing in a hard-fought first-round encounter.
Father-Son Coaching Split
Stefanos Tsitsipas dropped his father Apostolos as his coach on the eve of Wimbledon, replacing him with Thomas Perrin and adding Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou for additional supervision. The younger Tsitsipas explained the decision, saying, “The older I get, the more difficult it is for me to maintain a stable relationship with my father, compared to when I was a little kid, 18-19-20 years old. I believe that my father needs other things, just as I need different things. I felt it in the daily energy of our collaboration. I feel that we have reached a point where I am now looking for something completely different.” He added, “I have been feeling lately that having my father by my side brings me comfort, but it is not the solution for me to take the next steps and do something different in my career. Of course, I love him very much and I want the best for him, but right now I am thinking about myself and what is best for me.”
Previous Controversies
Apostolos Tsitsipas drew criticism in 2023 for refusing to stand as Djokovic lifted the trophy after defeating his son in the Australian Open final, remaining slumped in his seat. The incident was widely seen as a sign of disrespect. This followed earlier remarks by Stefanos Tsitsipas regarding Djokovic’s refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before the 2022 Australian Open. Djokovic had his visa cancelled and was deported, missing the tournament. Tsitsipas then stated, “There's two ways to look at it. One way is every single player, almost, the stats say 98 per cent of the players, have been vaccinated. They did what they had to do to perform and play in Australia. So one side of it is, yeah we've all followed the protocols in order to compete in Australia, who have been very disciplined in that part. In the other sense I'd say, it kind of seems like not everyone is playing by the rules of how Tennis Australia or some governments have been putting things. And a very small minority of that percentage chose to follow their own way which kind of makes the rest, the majority, look like they're all fools or something.”
Wimbledon Showdown
With a history of tension both on and off the court, the second-round clash at Wimbledon promises high drama. Djokovic will look to extend his dominant record, while Tsitsipas aims to turn the tide under new coaching arrangements.
