– I need and deserve a coach who listens to me and is able to see my reaction on the court. My father is not very smart or good in such situations. It is not the first time this has happened. I am disappointed with him, disappointed. I do not want to stop in one place – Stefanos said Tsitsipas just after match with Kei Nishikori.
Tsitsipas fired his father
The clash with the Japanese player definitely did not go the way the Greek wanted. He was broken three times, made ten unforced but very costly errors. During the match, he could not reach an agreement with his team, led by his father and coach, Apostolos Tsitsipas.
Stefanos was clearly dissatisfied with the hints and tips. At 2:5 in the first set, he got so angry that he stopped game and ordered his father to leave the court. The match was not going well enough for the Greek to take the initiative. He reduced the deficit in the first set, but still lost it 4:6. In the second, he was quickly broken and was unable to turn the tables. He lost the second set also 4:6 and was eliminated from the tournament in Montreal.
After the meeting with Nishikori, Tsitsipas was outraged by his father's attitude. The day after the match, the Greek tennis player posted a statement on social media explaining the future of his partnership with his dad, saying he got carried away during the match.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce that my partnership with my father as a coach has come to an end. I prefer that my father remain as a father and only a father. Philosophy teaches us that wisdom comes through understanding our limitations and acknowledging our mistakes. In my case, I realized that I was wrong to talk to my father in this way. In that frustrating moment, there were many mistakes on my part and mistakes on the part of my coach and father. As an introvert, I tend to hold my emotions in and collect them until I reach a critical point. I consider myself a patient person, so the fact that I reacted in this way was a shock. My behavior on the court was unacceptable and I am disappointed that I reached the point where I showed the dark side of myself. I lost control of myself,” Tsitsipas admitted.
At the same time, he doesn't completely reject his father from his team. “My father will be still He will travel with me and support me and help me off the court, just like I always wanted. We both agreed on that and we hope to focus on our human side first and then the rest,” the Greek tennis player added.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is 11th in the ATP rankings with 3465 points.