"I’ve reunited with the person who first believed in me": Stefanos Tsitsipas announces reunion with his father a year after dramatic split

Stefanos Tsitsipas has confirmed that he will be teaming up again with his father again exactly one year after their public and emotionally charged split. The decision follows on from the ending of his brief partnership with Goran Ivanisevic, which only lasted two tournaments leaving more questions than answers surrounding the direction and mindset of Tsitsipas’s team.

In August 2024, Tsitsipas made headlines when him and his father clashed during a match against Kei Nishikori. Frustrated by his father’s courtside input and the pressure from their long-standing dynamic, Tsitsipas came out and openly criticized his father and told reports that he “was not very smart” in his decisions.

Tsitsipas had a brief stint with Greek David Cup team captain Dimitris Chatznikolaou before teaming up with Ivanisevic. Former Wimbledon champion and one of the most successful roaches on tour in recent years, had previously helped guide Novak Djokovic to multiple Grand Slam titles and was expected to help Tsitsipas reset his game. However, the Greek was hit some cold words from his coach, “The most unprepared player” he has ever seen. This fall out came after only two tournaments together and the Greek hit back stating Ivanisevic was a “dictator.”

Tsitsipas took to social media to announce his reconciliation with his father, posting a picture of the duo with the caption: “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.”

He then went onto say “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.”

Tsitsipas’s return to a family-led coaching structure has sparked mixed reactions in the tennis community. Supporters believe Apostolos has always been the person who understands Stefanos best, having coached him from the junior ranks to the ATP Top 10 and to the 2019 ATP Finals title.

Some critics, however, believe that this may be a step backwards. That Stefanos is unable to break away from the emotional patterns in his career that in some senses have hindered his progress. All this recent drama has shown on the court with Tsitsipas having a record of 19-13 this year and even falling outside the top 25 players in the world, far from where he would want to be.

By returning to his father, it appears that Stefanos is looking for stability on and off the court. This is clearly a bid to relight the fire before that saw him become one of the best players in the world. Both Stefanos and his father seem committed to producing a better standard of play and look for a return to the biggest stages.

Tsitsipas will begin his new chapter at the Canadian Open, where he is scheduled to take on Australian Christopher O’Connell in the opening round. This result may not define the reunion, with the pair having not worked together for a long time. However, at 26 Tsitsipas will be looking to regain some form and look ahead to picking up his first Grand Slam.

For now, it looks as though Tsitsipas is choosing someone who knows him best, not because he has run out of options, but perhaps he is looking for some familiarity and believes this is what he needs to get his back on track. With the recent up and downs of him and his team, who knows how long this partnership will last, but everyone on the circuit will be keeping a close eye if anything changes.