"No changes are ever easy in this sport": Stefanos Tsitsipas opens up challenges during coaching staff transition at Cincinnati Open

Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas has opened up about the transition in the coaching staff during the Cincinnati Open. The 26-year-old has recently been in the news for various reasons, one of which was about splitting with his father as a head coach. The player announced the development himself in a statement that was released on different platforms.

The decision came after a public spat between Tsitsipas and his father during the Canadian Open, where he was knocked out after losing in the first round to Japan’s Kei Nishikori in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-4. Soon after that, it was reported that Tsitsipas is now working with Dimitris Chatzinikolaou on a temporary basis. He worked with Chatzinikolaou during the Davis Cup, when he was the captain of Greece.

The Athens-born star started the campaign in Cincinnati on a winning note as he defeated a tough opponent in Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Tsitsipas was quoted in a report by Tennis.com after the match, in which he opened up about how difficult the transition has been. The current world number 11 further went on to hint that his girlfriend Paula Badosa and other members of the coaching staff are helping him go through the transition smoothly.

“No changes are ever easy in this sport, whether that’s within the team or anything else,” he said. “It’s always a tricky thing when you’re pursuing it and everyone always feels a bit unsure about certain things. But in these moments, it’s important to proceed and come up with the right solutions. The right people adjust and they make it work for you and they make it work around you. Once you find these people, it’s a big relief for your tennis because you’re able to communicate in great ways.”

Tsitsipas will next play Britain’s Jack Draper in the next round, who secured his place in the round of 32 after beating Spain’s Jaume Munar in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 3-6, 7-6.