"It was a way to save our relationship" - Stefanos Tsitsipas opens up on decision to fire father as coach

Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas shocked the tennis community when he decided to part ways with his father, Apostolos, as coach. Now the former World No.3 has given fans a closer look at what led to the end of their working relationship.

Tsitsipas had been coached by Apostolos since he was a child. However, they parted ways this summer after the Greek star called his dad out following an opening round loss at the Canadian Open, where Tsitsipas was seen arguing with his dad during the match.

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After taking some time to cool off and reflect on the decision, the World No.11 admitted it would be for the best if they parted ways. Tsitsipas acknowledged the importance of his dad in his life and career, but stated he had to let him go in order to "save their relationship".

"My father has probably been the core of my entire life, not only in tennis, but also in my day-to-day life,” said Tsitsipas in an interview with Hola. “He has been a very important figure, but I had already felt on several occasions that need to move forward professionally without him.
“Obviously, he is one of the people largely responsible for my successes so far, but I also need to explore my own limits, have my own story and embark on a different journey in which to continue learning.
“It has been very difficult for the two of us to have a natural father-son relationship during all these years of championships. That was also one of the main reasons why I decided to part ways with him as a coach. Ultimately, it can also be understood as a way to save our relationship and build something healthy in the future.”