Stefanos Tsitsipas’ first Grand Slam campaign with his father back in his coaching box did not go the way he would have hoped.
Tsitsipas crashed out in the second round of the US Open to Daniel Altmaier, in a match that concluded with the Greek’s frustrations boiling over.
His defeat comes just a month after the 27-year-old parted ways with former coach Goran Ivanisevic, who blasted the star’s work ethic during their time working together.
Ivanisevic stated after Tsitsipas’ Wimbledon exit that he had ‘never seen such an underprepared player’ and if he does not solve some things outside of tennis, he has ‘no chance’ of returning to the world’s top ten.
After ending the player-coach relationship with the Croatian, the former world number three reunited with his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, who has since fired back at his predecessor.
Photo by Elsa/Getty ImagesGoran Ivanisevic criticised by Apostolos Tsitsipas for his comments
In an interview with ‘Clay‘, Apostolos Tsitsipas said of Ivanisevic’s comments: “I didn’t like that he expressed his opinions publicly.
“Probably Goran saw something he didn’t like. He should have identified it at the beginning of their professional relationship with Stefanos and discussed it personally with Stefanos and his team and tell him what he wants from him.
“Goran is a professional, I’m sure he has his own ideas, how to make things working, but definitely he should have done it personally with Stefanos.
“It’s interesting for the public to know about all these things, but the most important [thing] for the people is to see Stefanos playing good tennis.
“And the responsible about that are the members of his team. We are teachers. Coaches must create the right environment for the player to develop.”
Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty ImagesApostolos Tsitsipas says ‘the sky is the limit’ for Stefanos Tsitsipas
When asked what his son’s ceiling is in professional tennis, Tsitsipas replied: “The sky is the limit.
“Every player have to dream big and have high goals, but also be careful not to live too much in the future.
“They need to stay present, execute, and keep their goals in mind while being fully involved in daily work.
On his physicality, he said: It’s good. I’m sure It can always be better, but you can’t measure these things exactly.
“Players have peaks, then they go a bit down. It’s not always flat. Right now, he is at his peak I believe.”
Tsitsipas has had his worst season at Grand Slam events since 2018, failing to make it to the quarterfinals of a major for the first time in seven years.