“It became a burden”: Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother revisits former relationship with Paula Badosa

Former World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas and former World No. 2 Paula Badosa were among the most visible couples in tennis during their relationship, but fresh comments from Tsitsipas’ mother, Yulia Salnikova, have offered a more complicated perspective on the emotional impact behind the scenes.

Speaking in a recent interview with BB Tennis, Salnikova described the relationship as increasingly difficult for Tsitsipas due to the intense public attention surrounding the pair. The couple officially ended their relationship in 2025, shortly before Wimbledon, after nearly two years in the spotlight.

The breakup came during a difficult sporting period for both players. Tsitsipas and Badosa each suffered opening-round defeats in singles at the All England Club, while their planned participation together in the revamped US Open mixed doubles event never materialised following the separation.

Badosa later partnered with Jack Draper for the event before withdrawing because of injury, while Tsitsipas also stepped away from the possibility of competing in the mixed doubles main draw in New York.

Tsitsipas remains one of the most accomplished players of his generation despite his recent decline in consistency. The Greek reached two Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2023, while also winning the ATP Finals title in 2019 at just 21 years old.

The Greek spent several consecutive seasons inside the ATP Top 5 and qualified for the ATP Finals five straight times. Across his career, Tsitsipas has collected 12 ATP titles, including three Monte Carlo Masters crowns, while also reaching four additional Masters 1000 finals.

Badosa also established herself among the elite on the WTA Tour. The Spaniard reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2, won Indian Wells in 2021 and made the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2025, alongside several other deep runs at Grand Slams and WTA 1000 events.

The 28-year-old has won four WTA titles during her career and spent multiple seasons inside the Top 10. However, recurring injury problems, particularly across the last two years, repeatedly interrupted her momentum on tour.

Salnikova admitted that the relationship eventually became emotionally exhausting for Tsitsipas, particularly because of the media attention generated around the couple during the “Tsitsidosa” period.

She explained that the exposure gradually affected Tsitsipas despite his attempts to publicly embrace the attention surrounding the relationship. “They were a good couple, but for him it became a burden. He was trying too hard,” the Russian former tennis player said. “The constant photos, the social media and all the media attention gradually affected him. Even though he said he liked it, inside it kept building up.”

The relationship coincided with a difficult sporting stretch for Tsitsipas, who slipped outside the ATP elite after several years as a consistent Grand Slam contender. Coaching instability, public scrutiny and inconsistent performances became recurring themes during that period.

Salnikova also reflected on the emotional intensity between both players, suggesting the relationship eventually became unsustainable despite efforts from both sides to repair things privately.

According to her, the dynamic changed once Tsitsipas himself decided to take the initiative in rebuilding the relationship, though the couple later separated permanently in 2025. “The only thing that needed to happen was for the initiative to come from Stefanos. And it happened.”

“Now their relationship is at seven and a half out of ten. Before it was a nine, but that was emotionally too intense and it ended up destroying them.”

Despite the breakup, Salnikova spoke warmly about Badosa and credited the Spaniard with helping Tsitsipas mature emotionally away from the court. “I think he has matured from every point of view. And the presence of his girlfriend has helped him enormously. She gave him a very emotionally comfortable life.”

“I feel like I’ve known her for 90 years. She is a very sweet girl, she understands tennis, she played for university and she has also built her own career in marketing and representation.”