Stefanos Tsitsipas reflects on dropping father as coach

Former world No 3 Tsitsipas announced that his father was no longer his coach back in August, following a loss to Kei Nishikori at the Canadian Open in Montreal.

Apostolos had been his son's prominent coach throughout his career, despite brief partnerships with the likes of former major finalist Mark Philippoussis.

Under the guidance of his father, the Greek reached his high of third in the ATP Rankings and made two Grand Slam finals, alongside winning the ATP Finals and three Monte Carlos Masters titles.

However, their split came following a slump in form across 2024, and a tense exchange during his Montreal defeat to Nishikori.

And the 26-year-old conceded that his decision to find a new coach was a way to "save" his relationship with his father.

He said: "My father has probably been the heart of my whole life, not only in tennis, but also in my everyday life.

"He is obviously one of the people largely responsible for my success so far, but I also need to explore my own limits, have my own story and embark on a different journey to continue learning.

"It has been very difficult for both of us to have a natural father-son relationship during all these years of tournaments.

"This is 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."

Since their split back in August, Tsitsipas has spent time working with Greece's Davis Cup captain Dimitris Hatzinikolaou.

It is not yet known if the world No 12 will look to bring a new permanent figure into his player entourage ahead of 2025, though he will likely need to change something to return to the top of the sport.

Tsitsipas will finish a season ranked outside of the top 10 for the first time since 2018, while he has also failed to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin - snapping a run of five straight tournament appearances.

The Greek's year was highlighted by his run to the title in Monte Carlo, beating Jannik Sinner in the last four before downing Casper Ruud in the final.

However, he failed to win a title outside of that run, and reached just one Grand Slam quarter-final - falling in the last eight of the French Open.

Tsitsipas was beaten in the second round of Wimbledon and lost his opening match at the US Open, compiling a disappointing 8-4 record at majors this season.

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