Stefanos Tsitsipas has sacked his father Apostolos Tsitsipas as his coach. The Greek tennis star made this decision ahead of Wimbledon, where he won his first-round match against France's Hugo Gaston on Monday, winning 6-1 6-4 6-2.
What happened?
Stefanos Tsitsipas confirmed the split, stating it was final and he had closed the door on reuniting with his father as coach.
Why it matters for Stefanos Tsitsipas
The decision comes after a difficult couple of years for Tsitsipas, who has fallen to 87th in the world rankings. He had previously parted ways with his father only to rehire him later.
Tsitsipas believes his father has a lot to offer other players, but for him, it's time for a change. He feels they've reached a point where he's looking for something completely different in his coaching setup.
The Greek star has been hailed as a future star and one of the next "Big Three" along with Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev, tipped to take over from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.
What comes next?
Tsitsipas had a brief coaching spell with former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic last year, but it only lasted two months. Ivanisevic was highly critical of Tsitsipas after the split, saying he needed to solve some issues outside of tennis to return to his former level.
Tsitsipas is now focused on his Wimbledon campaign, where he's seeking to regain his form and climb back up the rankings. He's determined to prove a point and make a deep run in the tournament.
On Monday, Tsitsipas won his first-round match against Gaston, and he's looking to build on that momentum. He's been working on revisiting some of his old qualities and applying them in a structural way to his game.
The 27-year-old Greek star is eager to make a statement at Wimbledon and show the world what he's capable of. With his new coaching setup, he's hoping to find the success that has eluded him in recent years.
Tsitsipas reached the 2019 French Open final and the 2023 Australian Open final, climbing to as high as No 3 in the world. However, he's struggled to find consistency and has fallen out of the top 50 in the world rankings.
As he looks to revive his career, Tsitsipas is taking it one match at a time, focusing on his game and his mental approach. He's determined to make the most of his Wimbledon campaign and prove his doubters wrong.
The Greek star's decision to sack his father as coach is a significant one, and it will be interesting to see how it affects his game in the long run. For now, he's focused on the present and making a deep run at Wimbledon.