Although Stefanos Tsitsipas has won one title (Dubai Tennis Championships) this season, he has struggled for the most part of this season, so far. Once a world number 3, Tsitsipas has now dropped to 29 in the singles ranking. He has a win-loss record of 19-13 (59.4%) this season. In order to get back on track, two months ago, just before the grass court swing, he hired Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach, Goran Ivanisevic, to help him resurrect his career after a series of disappointing results at the Grand Slams.
In his earlier interviews, we heard Tsitsipas say, “I could have benefited from having Goran maybe 3-4 years ago. And he could have taught me the valuable things that I’m learning today, maybe a little bit earlier.” However, a lot of things have happened in between these two, and now, as per the latest news, Stefanos Tsitsipas has ended his partnership with Goran Ivanisevic. Ivanisevic joined his team after the 2025 French Open. But he failed to bring back Tsitsipas to winning ways. At the Terra Wortmann Open, he went down to Alex Michelse in the R16, and then at Wimbledon, he was forced to give a mid-match walkover in the opening round due to a back injury.
After his shocking exit from Wimbledon, Tsitsipas suggested his tennis future could be in doubt if he doesn’t find a solution to the back issue. However, talking about his relationship with the coach, he had then said, “It’s great.” Legends like Andy Roddick also pointed out how Stefanos Tsitsipas has been playing with a “different intensity” under Ivanisevic. But what really led to their split, though? In a recent IG story, Tsitsipas wrote, “Working with Goran Ivanisevic was a brief but intense experience and a truly valuable chapter in my journey. I’m thankful for the time, effort, and energy he dedicated to me and my team. As we are now following our separate ways, I have only respect for Goran – not just for what he’s achieved in tennis, but also for who he is a person. I wish him nothing but the very best moving forward.“
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Goran Ivanisevic have ended their coaching partnership.
“I wish him nothing but the best moving forward.” pic.twitter.com/Q4mDL8ufYu
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 23, 2025
However, this decision could well have been influenced by Goran Ivanisevic’s previous comments about the Greek star. What did he say, though? In a previous interview, Ivanisevic literally slammed Tsitsipas, saying that if he resolved certain off-court issues, he would have the chance to return where he belongs, because he feels Stefanos Tsitsipas is too good to be outside the Top 10. But having said that, the Croatian also added, “He says he wants to (return to the top level), but he’s not doing anything. It’s always ‘I want, I want,’ but I don’t see any progress. I was shocked; I’ve never seen a more unprepared player in my life. With this knee, I’m three times fitter than him. It’s really bad.“
Later on, Ivanisevic revealed that Tsitsipas wasn’t too happy with the public criticism, but did Tsitsipas give him a reply publicly? Recently, in an interview with Greek outlet SDNA, Stefanos Tsitsipas seemed to take a jibe at the coach, saying it’s “very difficult to have dictators and people who speak negatively” in his team. He claimed that being able to build a family out of this, people who will not only work with him in the tennis part but will also be his friends after his career, is something that he’s really looking forward to at the moment.
Who’ll be his next coach, then? Well, as the reports coming in from Greece, his father, Apostolos, could well be back with coaching duties in his teams. Recently, he was even seen expressing his regret over the way he ended his coaching relationship with his father last year.
Stefanos Tsitsipas realizes his mistake and brings his father back into the team
In August last year, Stefanos Tsitsipas announced that his father, Apostolos, would no longer serve as his coach. However, during the announcement, he added, “I prefer to keep my father in his role as a father, and only as a father.” Apostolos’ coaching stint with Stefanos started way back in 2001. Throughout this phase, we’ve seen plenty of instances in the past where Tsitsipas was spotted yelling at his father, out of disappointment, during his matches. Later on, while revealing the real reasons behind that split, he had said ending their professional partnership was necessary to “save” their relationships.
Recently, Stefanos Tsitsipas even expressed his regret over his decision to part ways with his father almost a year ago. “We discussed it, from my side, I had to apologise because it was a big mistake on my part. He has helped me in my difficult moments, in my most successful and good moments; my family has always been there. I don’t want to be separated from them. Tensions may arise again, in the sense that I may feel burdened again, but the relationship I have with my father I will not find anywhere else.”
Can he bring back Tsitsipas to winning ways? Time will tell! But talking about his split with the Croatian, another renowned coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, was also not too pleased seeing Goran Ivanisevic publicly criticizing the Greek star. He said, “Goran going to the press and criticising his player is not coaching.” What are your thoughts on this, though?
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