Stefanos Tsitsipas has managed to instill some stability after a tumultuous few months on the ATP Tour.
The Greek star, formerly world number three, has slipped to 30 in the world after struggling to perform to his previously high standards.
His rocky relationship with Goran Ivanisevic ended on July 31, just two months after the pair had started working together.
Photo by Tim Clayton/Getty Images
This two-month period was encapsulated by a run of poor results and a player-coach relationship that was clearly incompatible. After all, Ivanisevic publicly criticised Tsitsipas, with the Croat saying he’d never seen a more ‘unprepared’ player in his life.
However, Stefanos has now reunited with his father, Apostolos. The 26-year-old enjoyed his best results on the ATP Tour when working with his father previously.
Stefanos Tsitsipas says he doesn’t think he’s worked with someone as determined as his father before
Apostolos Tsitsipas had coached Stefanos from a young age, helping the young talent realise his potential as one of the best players on the ATP Tour.
However, the pair split last August after Stefanos lost to former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori at the Canadian Open.
The pair have been reunited after the Ivanisevic split, and their rekindled relationship has started on the right foot; Stefanos defeated Fabio Marozsan 7-6 6-2 in his opening Cincinnati Open contest.
Speaking to the Tennis Channel after his opening victory in Cincinnati, Tsitsipas discussed the decision to re-introduce his father into the coaching setup.
He said: “It’s great having him back in the team. Well, it’s one of those things that nothing else can beat.
“I feel like we’ve worked together for so many years, we’ve built so many amazing memories together. Obviously, a father-son relationship can be also complicated from time to time, I won’t deny that.
“We’ve had our good moments we’ve had our bad moments, not being able to communicate with ease in certain aspects or ways but you know we’re not perfect, we’re trying to figure it out, I’ve been very open with him which I’ve never allowed myself to be that open and that transparent with him ever.
“So it is important for me to start developing that habit and that sort of ritual of being a better communicator when I’m going to be surrounded by him.
So these are important things to figure out together. He’s a great person; he’s allowed me to become the person I am today. Not just the tennis player but the Stefanos I am today, so there are a lot of things I owe to him.
I really want to build something special, something lasting, something that serves as memorable in my career and our moments outside of the court too.
Tsitsipas then spoke on his work with his father in Toronto. The pair had some extra days to practice due to the Greek’s early exit in Canada.
He said: “We’ve put a lot of work in. We’ve spent at least three to four days practicing in Toronto after my loss, which is not normal.
“We usually try to find a flight to go to the next destination but we enjoyed our time there, I feel like there was a lot of bonding between me and him regardless of whether I won or not.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
“I feel like [we’re able to] have few moments on court where we can communicate to what feels uncomfortable, what can we improve on.
“The dedication and the determination of my father. I don’t think I’ve worked ever with a person that is so determined and is so willing to just put hours and hours on the court in order to have the right outcome.
“And that is inspiring to me because it shows to me that he’ll just do anything for me in order to… either that’s succeed or become the better version of myself and that fuels me up.
“When I see a person like this, that literally gives his soul and all of his energy in order for me to extract the most out of it, it just really gets to my heart so I really find this very important.”
‘I’ve missed it’
The Greek star then spoke about connecting with his father in the right way, expressing that he has ‘missed’ working with his father.
He said: “Absolutely, yeah I mean we haven’t spent a lot of time on the court in the last year. He was mainly my father. He was mainly there as a father figure.
“And I won’t lie I’ve missed it. I’ve missed it and I realise this, [the] more time we spend on the court, more times I come to the realisation that I really needed this in a long time.”
Tsitsipas faces Benjamin Bonzi in the Cincinnati Open third round. The French star stunned Lorenzo Musetti in the second round, winning in three sets.