Stefanos Tsitsipas splits with coach Mark Philippoussis ahead of 2023 French Open

Mark Philippoussis had joined Stefanos Tsitsipas' camp in July 2022.

Stefanos Tsitsipas splits with coach Mark Philippoussis ahead of 2023 French Open

Mark Philippoussis & Stefanos Tsitsipas (Image Via Greek Herald)

Stefanos Tsitsipas has split with his short-term coach Mark Philippoussis ahead of the 2023 French Open. This means his father Apostolos Tsitsipas will be his sole coach at the upcoming Grand Slam in Paris. The 24-year-old has had underwhelming results during the clay court season, which might have called for a sudden change in plans.

Mark Philippoussis joined Stefanos Tsitsipas’ camp in July 2022, as he helped the Greek reach his second Grand Slam final in Australia earlier this year. However, things have not gone according to plan for the duo, as Stefanos Tsitsipas is yet to win a title in 2023.

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Seeded fifth at the Italian Open, the 2021 French Open runner-up was defeated in the semifinals by Daniil Medvedev in straight sets. He managed to reach the quarterfinals in Madrid and Monte Carlo and finished as the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the Barcelona Open. It will be interesting to see how he deals with the change in his coaching staff just prior to the all-important French Open.

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Mark Philippoussis says he is proud of Stefanos Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas

Despite their split, Mark Philippoussis had nothing but words of respect for the short time he was a part of the Greek’s coaching camp. “Thank you for the opportunity of being a part of your team. It was a great ride & experience. I’m proud of what we achieved together in the short We amount of time we had,” wrote Mark.

The duo had shared some successful results during the 10 months they worked together. The Greek has failed to win a title during this period but has managed to reach the finals in Stockholm, Vienna, and Cincinnati. The highlight of their partnership came at the 2023 Australian Open when Stefanos Tsitsipas managed to reach the finals, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic.

Stefanos Tsitsipas will look to have a deep run at the 2023 French Open, where he enters as one of the favorites. The 24-year-old has certainly enjoyed playing in Paris, reaching the semifinals in 2020, and the finals in 2021. Last year, he faced an early exit, as he was knocked out by Holger Rune in only the fourth round.

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