Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Greek tennis player, has announced that his father will no longer serve as his coach.
The 26-year-old shared this news through a lengthy post, stating that he will be searching for someone else to guide him moving forward. He formally announced the end of his collaboration with his father, Apostolos, who has been his coach until now.
Here is his message in detail:
"I am deeply saddened to inform you that my collaboration with my father as my coach has come to an end. I prefer to keep my father in the role of a father, and only as a father.
Our philosophy teaches us that wisdom comes from understanding our limits and recognizing our mistakes. In my case, I have realized that it was wrong to speak to my father the way I did. Tennis is not just a match, a shot, or a performance in a few seconds. It is a long journey filled with emotions, pressure, and expectations. In that moment of disappointment, there were many mistakes from both my coach and father. As an introvert, I tend to bottle up my emotions until I reach a breaking point. I consider myself patient, so the fact that I reacted this way shocked me.
My behavior on the court was unacceptable, and I feel disappointed that I reached a point where I showed a darker side of myself. When I feel disrespected, judged, or emotionally attacked, I tend to lose control over what comes out of my mouth, which contradicts my values as a person. I lost control and could not see clearly in front of me.
My father has been trying for years to coach me, to raise me the right way, and to provide me with knowledge and wisdom both on and off the court. I thank him for that. I appreciate the sacrifices, the pain, and the suffering he has endured to help me succeed. From now on, his role will remain within the boundaries of a father, and only that.
My father will continue to travel with me and be there to support and assist me off the court, just as I have always wanted.
I have trusted my father with the coaching role for so many years, and I consider our collaboration to be successful. I am not sure who will take his place, and I am not in a position to decide that yet.
What I do know is that it is time to close this chapter and phase, and to strive to write a new one.
We have both agreed on this and hope to focus first on our human side, and then on everything else.
Accepting my mistakes and working to correct my path is part of my journey as an athlete, and I assure you that I will continue to work hard to improve myself, both on and off the court. I hope this experience will be a lesson for me and for everyone who struggles to find the right balance in their lives."