Tsitsipas values his father: "With him I showed my true potential"

The light of Stefanos Tsitsipas has lost some of its shine in recent months, mainly because his results are not what they used to be. Currently outside the top 10, the Greek arrives at the 2025 Australian Open eager to turn the situation around, although during his Media Day this Saturday, topics from the past were brought to the table. How is it with his father? How is their relationship now that they don't work together? What memory did he leave as a coach? Among other interesting questions, you cannot miss Tsitsipas' speech remembering the most important person who has ever been in his life.

Pre-competition reflections

"I bring a great preseason balance; it's normal to use these dates to try new things that can enhance your game, so I have fulfilled this part like the rest of my colleagues. The problem is that I haven't had as many days compared to others; it's been about three and a half weeks of preparation, not that short. I worked hard in Dubai to be ready in Australia, happy with how things went there with my mindset, I see myself in a good place. I am patient with my work, although I also suffer for it; everything requires physical and mental effort to overcome adversities and fatigue. I hope the work does its job and things go well."

Question about his father, Apostolos

"Honestly, I don't want to answer more questions about my father. He has been an exceptional coach; I can only be grateful for what he did. He is a great person, he sacrificed everything for a decade, throughout his life, always enduring a lot of stress. Coming from a small country like Greece, with no tradition in tennis, I am proud of how he brought me up and how we solved critical moments. Those moments shaped me as a player; they were the years when I showed my true potential. I still think he is one of the best coaches in the world, we maintain a great relationship, but now I need to continue alone to mature as an adult. Beyond this, he remains a fundamental person for me, both professionally and personally; I owe him everything."

Coaching, increasingly integrated on the tour

"I never saw a match change after an indication; this is something too recent in tennis. We still don't have the opportunity to see intense battles where players can access their benches to seek a tactical change and then turn the match around. As I say, it is still early to see something like that; the rule has just been introduced. Surely, matches will start to change, but most will remain a secret. Everyone has their own point of view; in my case, I received many penalties for indiscreetly violating the coaching code, although all players practiced it. Maybe it's because my coach wasn't as discreet as the others, that penalized me a lot. Definitely, this will give tennis another color; it will increase passion in the stands, enthusiasm for the sport, everything will be equal."

Australia, a special Grand Slam

"It's the home Grand Slam for Greek fans; of course, here in Melbourne, we have a large community. This makes a difference in terms of spectacle and court feelings; I know because I travel around the world, to many countries, but where I most connect is with Europeans. Perhaps that's why I succeed so much in the United States. Crossing oceans and feeling here that I am at home puts me in a comfort zone; it makes me feel much better about my game. With this additional ingredient, I hope it serves me to overcome the tough moments; hopefully, the stands will support me in the matches, it will be more exciting."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tsitsipas pone en valor a su padre: “Con él mostré mi verdadero potencial”