Heading into his first match at the 2025 National Bank Open this afternoon, former top-10 player Stefanos Tsitsipas has announced that his father, Apostolos, is back in as his head coach.
Tsitsipas had a very public split from Goran Ivanisevic following his first-round exit from Wimbledon late last month, which in turn led to a reconciliation with his father, whom he infamously criticized after his 2024 National Bank Open exit last year.
The former world No. 3 shared a selfie of the two via his Instagram Story on Wednesday morning, less than 12 hours before his upcoming match with Christopher O’Connell.
He then followed it up with a statement regarding his decision to begin working with his father again, writing:
“Some journeys have a way of circling back to where they began. After some time apart, I’ve reunited with the person who first believed in me – my father.
“I’m grateful to share the court and the road ahead with him once again. We’ve been through every chapter of this journey together, and this next one feels right. Sometimes, coming home is the boldest step forward.”
https://www.instagram.com/stories/stefanostsitsipas98/3688076349025099472/?hl=en
Stefanos Tsitsipas notably played some of the best tennis of his career under his father, reaching the finals of two Grand Slams while winning more than 10 tour titles.
Goran Ivanisevic Believes Apostolos Tsitsipas Is the Only One Who Can Coach Stefanos
Following Stefanos Tsitsipas’ first-round exit from Wimbledon, Goran Ivanisivic publicly criticized the Greek standout, questioning his conditioning and his commitment to the game.
While his comments caught the attention of fans, Ivanisevic opened up on the situation in a follow-up interview with HRT, a Croatian outlet.
As he explained, everything he said publicly, he also said to Tsitsipas privately. Additionally, he revealed that he believes Stefanos Tsitsipas’ father, Apostolos, is the only one who can coach the 26-year-old:
“He decided to try again with his dad. I honestly, most sincerely mean this: The only person who can coach him is his dad. He played the best tennis with him. He knows him best, it’s a family project. It’s the best decision. I wish him all the best, he’s too good a player to be where he is…
“Yesterday I told him that nothing will change if he doesn’t sort out some things in his head himself.”
Looking Back at Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Split From His Father in 2024
Back in 2024, after briefly hiring Mark Philippoussis as his coach, Stefanos Tsitsipas reunited with his father Apostolos just two months later.
Despite that, during the 2024 National Bank Open, the father-son duo wound up making headlines when Stefanos, who was struggling with his forehand in the opening round against Kei Nishikori, asked his dad to leave his player box.
In the press conference that followed, the former top-10 player spoke about the player-coach relationship, indicating that the two hadn’t been on the same page.
The very next day, Stefanos took to Twitter with a lengthy post, owning up to what he called, quote, “unacceptable” behavior on court while confirming his split from his father.
“My father will continue to travel with me and be there to support me and provide help off the court, as I always wanted. I have trusted my father with the coaching role for so many years, and I consider our collaboration successful. I am not sure who will take his place, and I am not in a position to decide yet.”
Η φιλοσοφία μας διδάσκει ότι η σοφία έρχεται μέσα από την κατανόηση των ορίων μας και
While at the time many fans felt as though the move was long overdue, splitting from his father seemed to do little to help Stefanos climb the ATP rankings.
Whether a reunion helps him turn things around, only time will tell.
Stefanos Tsitsipas Announces Coaching Change Following Goran Ivanisevic Split