“My behavior on the court was unacceptable” : Stefanos Tsitsipas confirms split with father as coach
Stefanos Tsitsipas has confirmed his split with his father Apostolos as his coach. This decision comes on the back of a surprising second round defeat at the hands of Kei Nishikori in Montreal. The Greek tennis star lashed out at his father publicly after his defeat to the Japanese.
Stefanos Tsitsipas took to social media to confirm his split with his father. He also stated that his behavior on the court was completely unacceptable, as he let his emotions get the better of him. The Greek tennis star has been having a torrid year on the tour, as he also lost in the second round of Wimbledon last month.
“I’ve already been complaining to my coach about it for the last four to five days,” Tsitsipas had said after his defeat in the second round in Montreal.
“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. 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 in him,” he added.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is now scheduled to compete at the Cincinnati Masters, before the final Grand Slam of the year kicks off at the Flushing Meadows by the end of his month.
Stefanos Tsitsipas confirms split with father
Stefanos Tsitsipas penned down a message on his social media for his behavior on the court during his loss to Kei Nishikori in Montreal. He also thanked his father for his valuable contribution as his coach since the childhood days.
However, the Greek also announced that he would no longer be coached by his father. Stefanos Tsitsipas has not announced his new coach yet, as he revealed that his father will still be travelling with him for tournaments.
“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that my collaboration with my father as a coach has come to an end. I prefer to keep my father in his role as a father, and only as a father. Philosophy teaches us that wisdom comes through understanding our limits and acknowledging our mistakes. In my case, I realised that I was wrong to talk to my father the way I did,” wrote Tsitsipas.
“Tennis is not just a match, a hit or a performance of a few seconds. It is a long journey full of emotions, pressure and expectations,” he added.
“My behaviour on the court was unacceptable, and I feel disappointed that I got to a point where I showed a dark side of myself. When I feel disrespected, judged, or emotionally attacked, I tend to lose control of what comes out of my mouth, which goes against my values as a human being. I lost control and could not see clearly in front of me,” added the Greek.
“My father 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 field. 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. My father will continue to travel with me and be there to support me and provide assistance off the field, as I have always wanted.“
Stefanos Tsitsipas is seeded ninth in Cincinnati, as he opens his campaign against Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round. This could prove to be a challenging first round encounter for the ninth seed, as the German is pretty capable of staging an upset.
