Stefanos Tsitsipas and Goran Ivanisevic’s brief collaboration has come to an end. The Greek confirmed Ivanisevic’s departure from his camp via a heartfelt message to the iconic Croatian former ATP star and present-day coach. Tsitsipas’ decision comes days after the Croatian lambasted him following a bitterly disappointing outing at the Wimbledon Championships.
Tsitsipas, a former No. 3 and two-time Major runner-up, announced in May that Ivanisevic would begin coaching him after the French Open. Under the Croatian’s tutelage, the Greek’s first outing came at this year’s Terra Wortmann in Halle, where he reached the second round before falling to Alex Michelsen in straight sets.
The 2025 Wimbledon Championships marked Stefanos Tsitsipas’ second tournament as a Goran Ivanisevic-coached player. However, the Greek’s SW19 campaign was a forgettable one, as he retired mid-match in the first round with a back injury. Subsequently, Ivanisevic voiced scathing criticism of Tsitsipas, telling Sport Klub:
Trending
"He (Tsitsipas) says he wants to (return to the top level), but he’s not doing anything. It’s always ‘I want, I want,’ but I don’t see any progress. I was shocked; I’ve never seen a more unprepared player in my life. With this knee, I’m three times fitter than him. It’s really bad."
On Wednesday, July 23, Tsitsipas took to his Instagram Stories and reflected briefly on his time as a player coached by Ivanisevic, writing:
"Working with Goran Ivanisevic was a brief but intense experience and a truly valuable chapter in my journey. I'm thankful for the time, effort, and energy he dedicated to me and my team."
He went on to confirm their split before wishing the best for the Croatian going forward.
"As we are now following our separate ways, I have only respect for Goran - not just for what he's achieved in tennis, but also for who he is as a person. I wish him nothing but the very best moving forward," the ATP No. 29 added.
Goran Ivanisevic had admitted that his post-Wimbledon criticism of Stefanos Tsitsipas affected the Greek WTA star
Not too long after publicly criticizing Stefanos Tsitsipas, Goran Ivanisevic admitted in a separate interview that his harsh assessment had affected the Greek. The Croatian attributed it to the former No. 3's 'inflated ego'.
"Well, it affected him a little because every tennis player, every athlete, when their ego gets a little inflated, doesn’t like criticism," Ivanisevic told Gol.
The 53-year-old once again brought up Tsitsipas' disappointing Wimbledon campaign this year, saying:
"Anyway, I told him: tennis is an individual sport. To play on the court, you have to be physically and mentally prepared. He wasn’t mentally or physically prepared at Wimbledon. Back problems, a million problems. So it’s a long road, there’s no magic wand, no magic tricks, you have to work. He’s too good a player to be where he is."
This is the second time this year that Ivanisevic has stopped working with a high-profile player after a brief collaboration. Prior to Stefanos Tsitsipas, it was WTA star Elena Rybakina who had roped in the Croatian as her coach. However, the Kazakh's off-court controversies led to Ivanisevic moving on from her camp.
