Stefanos Tsitsipas already had a new coach lined up only a few days after splitting from his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas.
Following his shocking loss in Montreal, the Greek star took a jab at his father and expressed his disappointment. Later, in a long statement, he apologized but said Apostolos would no longer be coaching him.
Dimitris Hadjinikolaou, the Greek Davis Cup captain, has since been working with Tsitsipas. They also reportedly plan to keep working together after the current Cincinnati Open. He was spotted training under Hadjinikolaou’s close supervision as he arrived in Cincinnati for the upcoming Masters 1000 competition.
Tsitsipas is already familiar with the coach because he guided the Greek Davis Cup team and the Olympic tennis team in Paris. Hadjinikolaou left the Games and returned to Greece, but the Tsitsipas camp called him in.
The last-minute connection is more than a temporary one, as Hadjinikolaou is anticipated to remain with Tsitsipas. Last Thursday he publicly slammed his father after losing to Kei Nishikori in his opening match at the Canadian Open.
Tsitsipas said the loss: “For me, an ATP Master 1000 match is an important match. I need and deserve a coach who 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 in him.”
Tsitsipas wrote in a lengthy, heartfelt statement: “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. My father has been trying for the last few years to train me, raise me the right way and provide me with knowledge and wisdom, both on and off the court. I thank him for that. I thank him for the sacrifices, pain and suffering he has endured to make this endeavour a success. From now on, his role will remain within the confines of the father role, and that alone.”
Apostolos Tsitsipas Joins Stefanos in Cincinnati with new Temp coach https://t.co/2CWXb54MNV via @greekcitytimes
— Greek City Times (@greekcitytimes) August 13, 2024
Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2024
Currently ranked no.11, the Greek played his last match on the 8th of August when he lost to world no.222 Kei Nishikori 6-4 6-4 in the 2nd round in Montreal (draw).
This year Stefanos has a 35-15 match record. Tsitsipas has won 1 title in Monte-Carlo. Stefanos got to the final in Barcelona.
Stefanos Tsitsipas will play the world no.666 John Isner in the Round Robin on Sunday at 6:00 pm on CENTER COURT. The head to head is 6-2 for Tsitsipas.
The Greek has won 1 title in 2024 in Monte-Carlo. The Greek reached the final in Barcelona (Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell).
Tsitsipas won 12 titles in his career: 1 on hard courts, 5 on clay courts, 5 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Shanghai (Shanghai Rolex Masters) on the 30th of September and Paris (Rolex Paris Masters) on the 28th of October.
Stefanos Tsitsipas |
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