Stefanos Tsitsipas knows he can’t keep his dad as his coach anymore, says his mom Julia Apostoli.
The Tsitsipas family is very close-knit, always traveling together for tournaments. Stefanos used to have his father, Apostolos, as his coach. His mom Julia and brother Petros are often seen at matches too. Stefanos even plays doubles with Petros and cherishes their Antwerp title.
To outsiders, they might seem like the perfect supportive family . But life for pro athletes is tough, and mixing family with work can strain relationships. In August this year, Stefanos decided to part ways with his father as a coach, sparking lots of chatter about their relationship.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇷 Stefanos Tsitsipas | 26 | 3,740 | 28 - 10 |
Family Dynamics:
Stefanos talked openly about it, and so did others like his former fitness coach. Now Julia Apostoli has shared her thoughts on how it affected Stefanos’ tennis career. Speaking on ANT1’s “Breakfast,” she said that while Stefanos loves his dad dearly, he knows they can’t work together anymore.
“Stefanos has done very well so far,” she said. “But he doesn’t have that big of feelings about tennis… although he loves his father very much, he understands that he needs to find another coach.”
Julia explained that since the 2020 US Open loss to Borna Coric in the third round, they suggested a new coach for Stefanos due to ongoing conflicts with Apostolos.
“Since 2020… we told Apostolos that Stefanos should change his coach,” she noted. “But four years passed and despite good results, their relationship wasn’t great; constant conflicts were there.”
Fans might think it’s sad but understandable given the pressure involved in professional sports.
Julia believes this coaching change isn’t a bad thing but rather a natural step in an athlete’s journey.
“And that’s why Stefanos made the decision to change his coach… We don’t see it as a tragedy,” she added. “We are a tight-knit family… Apostolos had not realized he was putting pressure on him.”
What do you think? Should more athletes separate work from family?
