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Fresh off his first title of the season in Los Cabos, Stefanos Tsitsipas arrives at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers with a familiar voice in his corner. Former World No. 8 Mark Philippoussis is taking the lead on coaching the Greek, while the 24-year-old’s father, Apostolos, is taking a break.
“My father right now, I gave him some time off. He hasn't had time off since I'm 12 years old,” said Stefanos in his pre-tournament press conference. “I think for him, it's very healthy to take some time away from the court and feel refreshed again.
“Parents can get emotional sometimes, and I completely understand that. I'm not a parent myself, but I can imagine how difficult it can be at times seeing your child give it their all and to be going through so much during a match.
“I love him and I want him to be part of that journey that we have built together, and he's not going anywhere. He's still with us, and he's still there following our path and journey.”
Philippousis, a former Wimbledon and US Open finalist, initially joined Tsitsipas' coaches' box in the second half of last season. The Australian announced on Instagram in May that he and Tsitsipas were splitting. They have since joined forces again, with Philippoussis alongside the Athens native last week in Los Cabos and now in Canada, where Tsitsipas was a finalist in 2018.
“It's time to keep exploring new things,” Tsitsipas said. “And I'm open minded and I want to learn as much as I can to maximise on my career because I have felt at times stagnant.
“Mark is a parent himself. He's not my father, but he's been through a lot of moments in his own personal career that he can identify and capture better in certain ways. He is an incredible human being. He has helped me a lot. He has been there for me. Even when people didn't see him around, he has been there behind closed doors in private. And he's a big addition to our team.”
Tsitsipas was crowned champion last week in Los Cabos, where he dropped just one set all week. Boasting a 39-13 season record, Tsitsipas looks to maintain his form this week in Toronto.
“I'm happy that I've been collecting some good, beneficial points for me in the last few weeks, and I hope I can keep going,” Tsitsipas said. “I have big standards in terms of finishing the year strong, and I want to deliver on that promise of mine. I want to finish the year and go on a nice vacation and say that I've tried my best these last few months to maximise as much as I can and have a big impact on the tour at the end of the year.”
A 10-time tour-level titlist, Tsitsipas is fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. Tsitsipas has qualified for the coveted Nitto ATP Finals four times, including a title run in 2019. Seeded fourth in Toronto, Tsitsipas will open against Christopher Eubanks or Gael Monfils. The American Eubanks stopped Tsitsipas in the fourth round of Wimbledon.
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