Stefanos Tsitsipas is not in the best form, but he’s confident that new coach Goran Ivanisevic can help turn it around.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has spoken bluntly about “wasting time” in his career and also shed light on Goran Ivanisevic’s “strict” approach to coaching him.
The three-time Grand Slam finalist and former world No. 3 is currently ranked 26th – his lowest position since 2018.
Since winning the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai in February-March, Tsitsipas has endured a disappointing run by the standards he set when he was a mainstay of the top 10.
Tsitsipas holds a 61.3% (19-12) record so far in 2025, which is the lowest win rate than he has registered in any campaign since breaking through as an ATP Tour regular in 2018.
The 26-year-old hired Ivanisevic as his new coach at the start of the grass-court season following a shock second-round loss to Matteo Gigante at the French Open.
Ivanisevic, a former Wimbledon winner and world No. 2, coached Novak Djokovic with huge success, while he has also worked with Marin Cilic, Tomas Berdych, Milos Raonic and Elena Rybakina.
Speaking at a press conference at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at Hurlingham, Tsitsipas suggested he wishes he could have started his partnership with the Croatian earlier.
“Yeah, it could have definitely happened earlier, to be honest, but I learned from those things,” said the Greek. “Like, okay, yes it could have happened then, but it happened now, so it doesn’t matter anymore.
“I could have benefited having Goran maybe three, four years ago. And he could have taught me the valuable things that I’m learning today, maybe a little bit earlier, so… but that thing doesn’t matter. I’m just hypothesising right now.
“I feel like, yeah, I’ve wasted time of maybe not feeling like I’ve grown as a player and I feel like I’ve been practising same methods, same things for years and years and years.
“And I’m at a stage of my life and my career where I want something refreshing, I want something new, I want something exciting, I want something that has a different language to it, a different language programmed.
“One of truth, one of honesty, and one of even, you know what… I’d say Goran is strict on me and he’s very tough on me. Any other player would probably freak out and be like, ‘How the heck is he allowed to talk to me like that?’ You know? Get it kind of personal. But I need this, because I need the truth and I need to have someone that’s tough with me.
“And I think that’s the foundation that I’m gonna build upon, and that’s foundation that I know – obviously he respects me — but this is the way, the execution that I need in order to get my a** to work and show the real Stefanos that’s been lacking the last couple of years.”
Tsitsipas will face world No. 112 Valentin Royer in his first match at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Monday.
