Tsitsipas: "My relationship with my father right now is complicated"
The Greek made strong statements after debuting with a victory in Cincinnati, reflecting on what the breakup with his father has meant for him.
A permanent Greek tragedy. That is what Stefanos Tsitsipas offers every time he stands before the microphones and talks about his feelings on and off the court. The professional breakup with Apostolos Tsitsipas continues to dominate much of his reflections, and at the ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati 2026, it went a step further.
If I want to eat, give me a fishing rod, not the fish. That’s what Stefanos Tsitsipas seems to be saying when asked about the reasons that led to ending his professional relationship with his father, an omnipotent and omnipresent figure throughout his career, to whom he attributes both the good and the bad, but with whom the Greek tennis player now clearly has a vision of rejection.
He expressed this in statements collected by the Greek media sdna.gr after Tsitsipas's victory over Royer in the first round of the ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati 2026. The Hellenic player continues to show green shoots in his tennis and will meet Félix Auger-Aliassime in the next round, trying to continue the momentum of his sports resurgence in Gstaad a few weeks ago.
This is what Tsitsipas said after winning in Cincinnati against Royer
A determined bet on aggressive tennis
"I am working on some things, and it is very important for me to stay focused on what I am working on. I keep reminding myself that results are important, but right now it’s more important to take big steps in my improvement and change some things that have been stagnant for the last two years."
"I have focused a lot on getting to the net faster and being a bit more dangerous when I play. Today I saw some signs of those things during the match."
"I was really proud of getting to the net so many times, especially towards the end of the first set and at the beginning of the second. That’s the kind of tennis that really makes me feel alive when I play, so I will keep working on it."
Stefanos Tsitsipas earns our BetMGM Shot of the Day with this move in the second set 🤯@BetMGM | #shotoftheday #cincytennis pic.twitter.com/xSczi8j1HD
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 14, 2026
"It is important to be consistent with my work, to show up every day on the court and seek small improvements, however minimal they may be, and allow myself to make mistakes sometimes, because that is also important and part of the process."
The breakup with his father continues to torment Tsitsipas
"I would say that I am probably in a chapter where I make decisions and make my own choices. It’s a chapter where I am evolving into a different version of myself, of Stefanos Tsitsipas."
"Before, I felt that many things were controlled but at the same time dictated by my father. I didn’t mind then, because that’s how things worked. And I left many responsibilities in his hands to manage certain things."
"I feel that now is my moment to decide who I want to work with, what I want to do, and what I want to achieve. I repeated a specific pattern for a very long time and made a clear decision with myself: I am tired of this. I am truly looking for something different in my life."
"I am 28 years old. I am no longer 21. And I think now is the best time to do it, to be honest. I probably should have done it earlier, but I have done it now. Now is the time. I have to move on and be okay with this decision. I have a good relationship with my father."
"Unfortunately, I can’t have him as a coach, even though I would like him to be my coach. I have a good team of people who have been there for me, and I would like my father to remain my father, something I hope he respects."
"It’s a complicated relationship. The relationship between father and son has always been complicated and will continue to be complicated for tennis players in the future."
Tsitsipas and his desire to elevate his average level
The Greek does not want to measure this new stage solely by the number of victories. His goal is to raise his ceiling when he finds his best level and, at the same time, prevent his worst days from turning into particularly negative performances.
"Yes, victories are important. But at the end of the day, I still feel stuck and play the same type of tennis over and over, so I am trying to escape that pattern."
"I am looking for something different. I want that, perhaps on my best days, those best days are even better. Every detail, from equipment and training to sleep and recovery, is important to me because when I’m well, I want to be at my best. And perhaps on my not-so-good days, I want them to be more normal rather than really bad."
Auger-Aliassime, a major threat to Tsitsipas in Cincinnati
"I have played against Félix before. He has improved a lot. He is a player who is consistently in the Top 10."
"He plays well on all surfaces. He is probably one of the most consistent players in the last two years because he continually shows up, gets results, and plays steadily."
"But I will wait to see the cracks. All players have small cracks during a match. I need to be alert, focused, and follow my plan with discipline and a clear intent on how I will be more dangerous. Those are the things I will focus on more."
It is clear that Stefanos Tsitsipas is engaged in a struggle with himself to forget many of the things that have marked his career, in a tendency to detach from his father to reinvent himself. He seems to be showing good signs in this ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati 2026, where he will fight to create an upset against Félix Auger-Aliassime.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tsitsipas: "La relación con mi padre ahora mismo es complicada"