Stefanos Tsitsipas confirmed on Wednesday, July 23, that Goran Ivanisevic will not be coaching him going forward. The very next day, Ivanisevic himself broke his silence on the development. The Croatian former ATP icon also confirmed that the Greek will once again be coached by his father, Apostolos.
Tsitsipas’ decision to separate from Ivanisevic came on the back of some harsh criticism that came the Greek’s way from the Croatian in the aftermath of his disappointing campaign at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. Ivanisevic claimed in a Sport Klub interview that he had “never seen a more unprepared player” than Tsitsipas, who retired hurt during his first-round match at SW19.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, without naming Goran Ivanisevic, fired back, accusing the Croatian of being a ‘dictator’ in a recent interview, which was published in the hours prior to the official confirmation of the split. The 12-time singles career titlist told SDNA:
Trending
"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. Being able to build a family out of this, people who will not only work with you in the tennis part but will also be your friends after your career, is something that I really want to build."
Subsequently, Goran Ivanisevic reflected on how the player-coach relationship came to an end. The 53-year-old also suggested that the Greek's father, Apostolos, was the right coach for him because the former No. 3 achieved his best results on the tour with him. Despite the Croatian's take, it's worth noting that Stefanos Tsitsipas and Apostolos were involved in an ugly spat last year.
"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. He played his best tennis with him, his dad knows him best, this is a family project. It’s the best decision, I wish him all the best, he’s too good of a player to be where he is," Ivanisevic told HRT.
Ivanisevic also revisited his controversial interview with Sport Klub, claiming it was never meant as an insult to Tsitsipas and that he had said the same things to the Greek directly.
"It was blown out of proportions, I didn’t insult him… I told him all of that, it’s not like I was saying it behind his back. Now it seems like you can’t say anything anymore. I said it honestly, to get a reaction. That’s how this generation is. Unfortunately, that’s how it is, everyone sees it," he added.
"Stefanos Tsitsipas hasn't forgotten how to play tennis" - Goran Ivanisevic
In the same interview with HRT, Goran Ivanisevic went on to once again highlight the lack of mental and physical preparation he saw in Stefanos Tsitsipas for the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. However, the Croatian concluded by hoping that the Greek rediscovers the kind of form that once made him one of the most feared players on the ATP Tour.
"He feels it too, and he knows. If you’re not mentally, physically, and emotionally ready. Especially mentally, to play for hours with the best, then you have no chance of playing tennis. He wasn’t mentally ready to play at Wimbledon, I hope he’ll find his path. I wish him all the best, we know the results he’s had, he hasn’t forgotten how to play tennis," Ivanisevic said.
So far this season, Stefanos Tsitsipas has a 19-13 win-loss record on the ATP Tour, and it's fair to say that his underwhelming results are an accurate reflection of his current ranking of World No. 29.
