Stefanos Tsitsipas Fires Dad as Tennis Coach After Canadian Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas fired his dad after a shocking loss at the Canadian Open.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has parted ways with his father. / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Stefanos Tsitsipas and his father, Apostolos, have officially parted ways. The World No. 11 tennis player announced that his father would no longer be his coach on Friday morning.

Stefanos posted a lengthy letter to social media explaining the decision. However, the move comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed Stefanos this summer.

The Greek tennis player lost in the second round of Wimbledon, blew a 4-0 second-set lead over Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics, and lost to World No. 576 Kei Nishikori in the Canadian Open yesterday.

Oh, Kei 🙌

The moment @keinishikori stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas to become the lowest-ranked player into the last 16 at a Masters 1000 since 2004! #OBN24 pic.twitter.com/kmnTaSfti3

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 8, 2024

During yesterday's upset, Stefanos received a code violation for yelling at Apostolos during the match. Afterward, Stefanos blamed Apostolos for his problems on the court, including his forehand and failure to take in feedback.

In today's announcement, Stefanos struck a more philosophical and self-effacing tone. He said, "It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that my collaboration with my father as a coach has come to an end. I prefer to keep my father in his role as a father, and only as a father."

Stefanos took the blame for his behavior at the Canadian Open. "My behavior on the pitch was unacceptable, and I feel disappointed that I got to a point where I showed a dark side of myself. When I feel disrespected, judged, or emotionally attacked, I tend to lose control of what comes out of my mouth, which goes against my values ​​as a human being. I lost control and could not see clearly in front of me."

Σας ενημερώνω με βαριά καρδιά ότι η συνεργασία μου με τον πατέρα μου ως προπονητής έχει φτάσει στο τέλος της. Προτιμώ να κρατήσω τον πατέρα μου στον ρόλο του ως πατέρας, και μόνο ως πατέρας.

Η φιλοσοφία μας διδάσκει ότι η σοφία έρχεται μέσα από την κατανόηση των ορίων μας και…

— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@steftsitsipas) August 9, 2024

Stefanos credited his father for a lot of their shared success and said they would continue to travel together. But he decided it was best they focus on the human side of their relationship first.

Stefanos concluded his letter, "Accepting my mistakes and trying to mend my ways is part of my path as an athlete, and I assure you that I will continue to work hard to improve myself, both on and off the field. I hope this experience is a lesson for me, and for everyone who struggles to find the right balance in their lives."

Stefanos will begin looking for a new coach now as he prepares for the US Open later this month. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

Further Reading: Frances Tiafoe described working with his "super-focused" new coach.