Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon second round on Wednesday without a coach in his corner after sacking his father Apostolos on the eve of the tournament. The Greek star, ranked No.80 in the world, made the decision to part ways with his long-time coach and father, stating he is looking for someone 'completely different'.
Tsitsipas Confirms Split with Father
Tsitsipas announced the decision just before the British Grand Slam, saying his father has given everything he could but that their coaching relationship has reached its limit. 'It will take him some time to accept it, as it did the last time we split,' Tsitsipas said. 'Back then I left a small window open. Now I believe he has a great deal to offer others. But to me, I think he’s already given everything he possibly could.'
The 27-year-old added: 'The older I get, the harder I find it to maintain a stable relationship with my father in a coaching context. I feel we’ve reached a point where I’m looking for something completely different.'
Previous Split in 2024
This is not the first time Tsitsipas has dismissed his father as coach. In 2024, he similarly sacked Apostolos, complaining about lack of support and communication. 'I’ve been complaining about this to my coach for four or five days,' Tsitsipas said at the time. 'That’s why I had that discussion. I need and deserve someone who listens to me and is attentive to my feedback as a player. My father has not been very smart when it comes to handling these situations, and it’s not the first time it’s happened to him. I’m very disappointed in him.'
Strong Start at Wimbledon Despite Rankings
Despite slipping to No.80 in the world rankings, Tsitsipas showed strong form in his opening match at SW19, dispatching Hugo Gaston 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. 'I always felt like I was coming into this tournament with a lot of determination, with a lot of love for the grass, and always played my best that I knew at the time,' Tsitsipas said after the win. 'So today's match was a little bit of a throwback mentally of how I started this journey playing at Wimbledon, playing at juniors, and trying to go far. I produced some really good tennis.'
He added: 'I was trying to revisit some of my qualities and some of the ways I have been thinking and doing certain things from the past, and tried to apply those in a structural, well-mannered way in today's match. So I'm just going to continue doing that and see where that brings me.'
Facing Djokovic Without Coach
Tsitsipas now faces the daunting task of taking on 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic without a coach. The Greek was once tipped as part of the next generation to challenge Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, but has fallen short of those expectations. His second-round match against Djokovic will test his ability to adapt without a coach.
