Stefanos Tsitsipas makes his feelings known on splitting with dad Apostolos: "Very difficult to have a natural father-son relationship"

Stefanos Tsitsipas opened up about his coaching split with his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, following their heated on-court argument at the 2024 Montreal Masters. The former World No. 3 claimed the coaching was harming their father-son relationship.

Tsitsipas was coached by Apostolos right from his childhood to the start of his professional career. The duo got off to a flying start on the pro circuit with the highlight arriving in 2019 when the Greek became the youngest player to win the ATP Finals in 18 years.

However, all seemingly wasn't well between the father-son duo in recent years. With Tsitsipas' form also witnessing a decline, they had a heated argument on the court at the 2024 Montreal Masters during the Greek's match against Kei Nishikori. Tsitsipas went on to lose in straight sets and announced the coaching split from his father the following day.

Reflecting on the split with his father in a recent interview with Hola, the World No. 12 claimed that the coaching was harming their natural father-son relationship.

“It has been very difficult for the two of us to have a natural father-son relationship during all these years of championships. That was 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 and build something healthy in the future," the two-time Grand Slam finalist said.

Tsitsipas replaced Apostolos with Greece's Davis Cup team captain Dimitris Chatzinikolaou. However, he hasn't been able to turn his form around yet, failing to advance beyond the quarterfinal stage since the coaching change.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas ends five-year streak of qualifying for the ATP Finals

Stefanos Tsitsipas' inconsistent run of form has seen him fail to qualify for the 2024 ATP Finals. He amassed 3,165 points this year, winning a lone title at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.

The World No. 12 also witnessed a drop in his win percentage for the fourth consecutive year, dropping from 74.7% in 2021 to 66.7% in 2024.

Tsitsipas faced Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters on November 1 and although he put up a decent fight, the two-time Grand Slam finalist lost 7-5, 6-4. The loss marked the end of his qualification chances for the ATP Finals as well as his season as he looks to turn the tables in 2025.