In a shocking turn of events at the Montreal Masters, Stefanos Tsitsipas found himself not only suffering a surprising loss to Kei Nishikori, but also embroiled in a tense moment with his father, Apostolos. The Greek tennis star didn’t mince words when asked about the incident, making it clear that he was not happy with his father and hinting at a potential coaching change in the near future.
Tsitsipas, the No. 8 seed, was ousted from the tournament by Nishikori, who is currently ranked at No. 576 in the world. But the loss itself was overshadowed by the drama that unfolded on court between Tsitsipas and his father. During the match, Tsitsipas became visibly frustrated with his father and even asked him to leave the court. Apostolos, apparently unfazed, promptly exited the stadium.
In the aftermath of the incident, Tsitsipas didn’t hold back in his criticism of his father, accusing him of not being attentive to his needs as a player. “I’ve already been complaining to my coach about it for the last four-five days. That was also the reason why I had a confrontation with him during the match, I’m not used to it,” Tsitsipas lamented. “For me, an ATP Master 1000 match is an important match. I need and I deserve a coach that listens to me and hears my feedback as a player. My father hasn’t been very smart or very good at handling those situations, it’s not the first time he has done that. I’m really disappointed at him.”
The usually composed Tsitsipas didn’t shy away from expressing his frustration with his father, indicating that a coaching change might be in order. As the two-time Grand Slam finalist contemplates his next move, it remains to be seen how this incident will impact his future performances on the ATP tour.
