Stefanos Tsitsipas’ ex-physiotherapist Jerome Bianchi is shedding the light on what was happening behind the scenes with the Greek tennis star and Apostolos as the former team member pretty much described it as a very toxic environment.
In the last couple of years, the two-time Grand Slam finalist and Apostolos – who served as his coach from Day 1 – had a couple of tense moments on the court and it was evident that not everything was perfect there. But it exploded at this past Montreal Masters, when the former world No. 3 got annoyed with his father to the point where he wanted him to leave the court and exactly that happened.
After a dramatic moment that occurred during the first set against Kei Nishikori, Tsitsipas never recovered as the Japanese went on to upset the 26-year-old 6-4 6-4.
Later, the 26-year-old ripped Apostolos as “not very smart” when it came to listening to his needs. A day after the incident and comments that went viral, the Greek tennis player decided to relieve his father of coaching duties.
“Their relationship has not been sustainable for years, their way of operating is harmful,” Bianchi told L’Equipe.
Bianchi: Tsitsipas wanted to do it but he’d feel guilty…
As mentioned above, there were moments in the past when the two would get into an argument and it would result in the 11-time ATP champion adding someone new to the team so he could at least have one more voice. But every time the outcome would be the same as the former world No. 3 would leave his father and fire the other coach.
Now, Bianchi reveals that there were times when Tsitsipas wanted to make that big move but he was basically not allowed to do so.
“Every time Stefanos wanted to break up with his father, his mother ran and said, ‘You can’t do this to him, he dedicated his life to you’. And he found himself feeling guilty,” the physio claimed.
Shortly after the split, the 26-year-old added Greek Davis Cup team captain Dimitris Hatzinikolaou to his coaching staff for the US Open. But it was probably just a short-term solution.
“He realizes that he is getting on in age and that his career has not been what it should have been,” Bianchi added.
The timeline of the Tsitsipas family drama
Even before suffering a disappointing loss in his Montreal opener, the 2023 Australian Open runner-up didn’t have a great 2024 season. And some were even going as far as claiming that the former world No. 3 regressed and that he was no longer a legitimate contender for the biggest title.
“I’ve already been complaining to my coach about it for the last four-five days. That was also the reason why I had a confrontation with him during the match, I’m not used to it. For me, an ATP Master 1000 match is an important match. I need and I deserve a coach that listens to me and hears my feedback as a player,” Tsitsipas said about the tense Montreal moment in his post-match presser.
“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. 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.”
And the following day, it indeed happened – the Greek tennis star said he was moving on from Apostolos as his coach and noted that from now on he was just his father.
“He has been trying for the last few years to train me, raise me the right way and provide me with knowledge and wisdom, both on and off the court. I thank him for that. I thank him for the sacrifices, pain and suffering he has endured to make this endeavour a success. From now on, his role will remain within the confines of the father role, and that alone,” he said in the announcement.
In the same message, the 26-year-old also expressed some regrets over what happened in front of everyone in Montreal.
“I realized I was wrong to talk to my father the way I did. I have trusted my father with the coaching role for so many years and I consider our partnership a success. I’m not sure who will take over, and I’m not in a position to decide yet,” the former world No. 3 said.
Unfortunately for Tsitsipas, the change and shock therapy didn’t help him make a deep US Open run since he was stunned by Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)