“It wasn’t an ordinary relationship”: Tsitsipas’s mother details the emotional toll of the Badosa split

Stefanos Tsitsipas's mother, Yulia Salnikova, responded in an interesting interview, addressing topics from his breakup with Paula Badosa to conflicts with Goran Ivanisevic. The 61-year-old is a former tennis player who represented the Soviet Union for a good part of her career before changing her nationality to Greek after marrying Apostolos Tsitsipas – 'Stef's' current coach.

Tsitsipas's career has been in decline during the last season, something well-known in his inner circle. Between 2019 and 2023, he finished five consecutive seasons in the top-6, reached a best ranking of World No. 3, and became a consistent candidate in Grand Slams. He reached the finals at Roland Garros 2021 and the Australian Open 2023, but on both occasions, he was overshadowed by Novak Djokovic.

Injuries have been a constant for the 3-time Monte-Carlo Masters champion. In the last couple of years, he has lost his ranking, falling to No. 34 this 2025. Tsitsipas – ATP Finals champion in 2019 at just 21 years old – has had 6 consecutive major tournament appearances without even making it past the second round.

He has also made news off the court, from the brief association with former Novak Djokovic coach, Goran Ivanisevic, to his nearly two-year relationship with former World No. 2 Paula Badosa. While many believe the relationship with the Spanish player influenced his drop in level, Tsitsipas's mother provides details about the breakup.

In a recent interview with Sports Russia, Tsitsipas's mother referred to the issues that have caused her son's level to drop on the ATP Tour, and she was asked if he had any other problem besides the constant back injury. “If we talk about the last year, of course, it was his breakup with Paula Badosa. That wasn't easy either.”

According to her, the breakup significantly affected the former World No. 3 psychologically. “Ultimately, this is certainly true,” she said. “When I was a professional tennis player in my youth, I thought a man shouldn't react so emotionally. For some reason, that's how I felt. But it turns out that men are perhaps even more sensitive in this matter,” Salnikova added. “I wouldn't like to go into details because I have an agreement with the team. The most accurate answer would be: the relationship was not easy for him.”

“Undoubtedly, it was an interesting relationship. It wasn't an ordinary relationship, because it was long-distance,” the former WTA player added. “And they both started this relationship injured and in physical pain. When they started dating, Paula couldn't play at all due to a back injury... The relationship was difficult from the beginning.”

In mid-2025, Tsitsipas surprised everyone by including Goran Ivanisevic as his head coach – following the Croatian coach's years with Novak Djokovic and a brief stint with Elena Rybakina. However, it lasted only a few weeks, and they had a controversial breakup with cross-criticism, in which Ivanisevic expressed his dissatisfaction with the player's physical condition, while Tsitsipas's circle did not take kindly to the coach publicly stating such views.

Tsitsipas's mother admitted that she was the one who had the idea to hire Ivanisevic. “I not only advised him, but I insisted. And I take full responsibility. I take the blame for it being the wrong decision. After all, even the team that worked with Stefanos before he started working with Ivanisevic helped him more.”

In her words, one of the factors that affected the relationship was the deep bond Ivanisevic had built with Djokovic in previous years, which prevented him from establishing a professional relationship with Stefanos. “Goran Ivanisevic never had the intention to build one,” she said. “Goran Ivanisevic's history as a coach begins and ends with a player named Novak Djokovic. He was completely lost in him. I saw it. It shocked me.”

“He treated Djokovic as a loved person who needed unconditional support. Ivanisevic was willing to do anything for Djokovic, willing to please any whim. And that won me over,” Tsitsipas’s mother added. “It turned out to be an illusion. Observing this relationship, I naively assumed it could be the same with the next player. But a love like that only happens once in a lifetime; no one can repeat it. There was no way to accept this.”