Stefanos Tsitsipas and Goran Ivanisevic have had a turbulent stint together before parting ways just a couple of weeks after the Greek’s disappointing outing at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. Tsitsipas was eliminated in the first round after he was forced to withdraw due to a back injury during his clash against Valentin Royer.
It was after the Wimbledon exit that Ivanisevic’s comment on Tsitsipas’ fitness made headlines. Ivanisevic, a former Wimbledon champion, criticized Tsitsipas’ fitness and his work ethic outside the tennis court.
Speaking in an interview, the 53-year-old Ivanisevic shared that at his age and with an injured knee, he is much fitter than Tsitsipas. He said (via Sport Klub):
“Me, at my age and with this bad knee, I’m three times in better shape than him. I’m not sure what he was doing in the previous 12 months, but his current shape is very poor.”
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Just a few days later, after his comments, Ivanisevic also highlighted that these comments hit Tsitsipas hard, and further stated, adding that the 26-year-old wasn't ready to compete at Wimbledon in terms of both physical and mental perspective.
Following this, Stefanos Tsitsipas announced his decision to split with Goran Ivanisevic. Tsitsipas shared that he had an intense few months with the Croatian coach and also expressed gratitude for the time the latter spent with him.
However, in an interview, the Greek player remarked that it was difficult for him to work with Ivanisevic. He explained the reasons, stating (via SDNA):
"It is very difficult to have dictators and people who speak negatively and you don't feel like they are close to you like family."
During this conversation, Tsitsipas also said that he likes to get comfortable when he is working with the correct people, but it doesn't mean that he will stop working outside the court during practice sessions.
After the split-up, Ivanisevic clarified the initial comments he made on the Greek player's fitness after the Wimbledon debacle. The Croatian said that he didn't intend to disrespect Tsitsipas and wished the latter luck for his future endeavors.
Goran Ivanisevic speaks out after his split with Stefanos Tsitsipas
Contrastingly, hours after the split was announced, Goran Ivanisevic clarified that he and Stefanos Tsitsipas don't share any resentment between them, and their split was mainly on the latter's decision to join forces with his dad.
Notably, Tsitsipas' father, Apostolos, has coached him for a large portion of his career. Ivanisevic said (via HRT):
"We spoke yesterday, no hard feelings, we thanked each other. He decided to try again with his father, and honestly, I truly believe this – the only person who can coach him is his dad."
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Goran Ivanisevic competed in two tournaments together as they joined forces after the 2025 French Open. At the Halle Open, the former World No. 3 player faced a Round of 16 exit, followed by a first-round setback at Wimbledon.
