Stefanos Tsitsipas feels at a crossroads in Cincinnati after coaching split from father Apostolos

CINCINNATI—Down a set to Jan-Lennard Struff, Stefanos Tsitsipas confessed to being in a “bad place” as he fought to stay alive at the Cincinnati Open, but the former world No. 3 shook off a slow start and off-court upheaval to survive the German talent, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Tsitsipas was playing his first match since the explosive announcement that he would part ways with father Apostolos as his head coach, working instead with childhood friend Dimitris Chatzinikolaou as he weighs more permanent options.

“No changes are ever easy in this sport, whether that’s within the team or anything else,” Tsitsipas said in Cincinnati’s mixed zone. “It’s always a tricky thing when you’re pursuing it and everyone always feels a bit unsure about certain things. But in these moments, it’s important to proceed and come up with the right solutions. I also find it important to maybe focus on yourself and what you’re capable of as a player, and not focus too much on the environment.

“The right people adjust and they make it work for you and they make it work around you. Once you find these people, it’s a big relief for your tennis because you’re able to communicate in great ways. You’re able to coordinate in ways that ensures your tennis becomes better, and that your mental state improves as well.”

Tsitsipas draws comfort from Chatzinikolaou’s technique, having shared the same developmental coach growing up in Greece, but admitted to feeling “at a crossroads” as the 26-year-old looks to compete with younger rivals like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner—not to mention Novak Djokovic—for Grand Slam titles.

“Things like this offer a massive change in your perspective and in the way you perceive tennis,” said Tsitsipas, who is seeded ninth in Cincy. “I’m just actually hoping it’s going to be positive and allows me to thrive in some other years of my career.

“I would definitely say that there are plenty of things that can be improved within my game,” he continued. “Of course, I’m happy to work with the best this sport has to offer and to find ways to collaborate, for these people to try and help me out as much as they can and my tennis. At the end of the day, I just want to maximize as much as I can in my career. To work with the right people who know how to guide me and know how to add tennis wisdom into my game.”

In the meantime, the world No. 11, who ended the day with a closely-fought doubles defeat alongside rival Holger Rune, has drawn emotional support from girlfriend and fellow player Paula Badosa. A former world No. 2, Badosa won her opening match on adjacent Grandstand while he was coming back on Center Court.

“I’ve always spoken greatly of her because she’s been there in my toughest moments and she always was compassionate,” said Tsitsipas, who will next face Jack Draper on Thursday. “She was always a shoulder to lean on when moments like this occur.

“This was entirely my decision, not influenced by anyone else,” he added, clarifying. “It was a difficult one to make, and I didn’t actually advise with her, which I guess would have been a normal thing to do when you’re in a relationship. I felt like it was something I had to maybe think throughout myself, and get it processed in my own mind and on my own terms.”

Tsitsipas trails Draper 0-1 in their head-to-head, having lost his only previous meeting to the 22-year-old Brit back in 2022, on hard courts in Canada.

Can the two-time Grand Slam runner-up continue building positive momentum ahead of the 2024 US Open?