By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, April 11, 2025
Photo credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Facebook
In an exciting turn of events, Stefanos Tsitsipas is set to collaborate with the legendary coach Goran Ivanisevic following Roland Garros, according to Greek media reports.
Unfortunately, Tsitsipas faced a tough match today against Lorenzo Musetti, who toppled the reigning Monte-Carlo champion with a score of 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, earning his place in the semifinals of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
The three-time champion struggled with his serves, executing a mere 49 percent accuracy rate throughout the match, and a staggering 29 percent in the crucial final set, which included four double faults out of the seven he committed.
“The primary issue was definitely my serve,” Tsitsipas explained to reporters in Monte-Carlo. “It was lacking when I needed it most. I spent the majority of the second and third sets relying on my second serve. I just couldn’t find that consistency to build rallies effectively around my serve. The first set was okay, but still not up to my standards.”
“I sensed that Musetti was a bit tight and not at his best in the first set, which made me realize I was in a precarious position when I couldn’t land my first serves. That uncertainty was palpable.”
This marks Musetti’s first victory over Tsitsipas in six encounters, which will drop the eighth-ranked Tsitsipas out of the Top 15, landing at No. 16 when the ATP rankings are updated on Monday.
The Greek publication Gazzett reports that Tsitsipas plans to engage Goran Ivanisevic as his coach after Roland Garros.
Tsitsipas has yet to make an official statement regarding this new coaching relationship.
„Tsitsipas: With Ivanisevic after Roland Garros“https://t.co/Ilrn0Ud63B
— Tsitsidaily🇬🇷 (@tsitsidaily) April 10, 2025
When confronted with questions about his potential collaboration with the Hall of Famer Ivanisevic, Tsitsipas stated: “I am currently not in a position to discuss that matter.”
This ambiguity suggests that the duo may still be finalizing their partnership. Ivanisevic, renowned as one of the finest servers in tennis history, has been a prominent figure in coaching, having led both Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic to Grand Slam victories. Notably, he briefly coached former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina before stepping away following her decision to return to her prior coach, Stefano Vukov.
Currently, Kerei Abakar from the Mouratoglou Academy is alongside Tsitsipas throughout the Monte-Carlo tournament and is expected to continue until the end of the clay season. Tsitsipas’ father and former coach, Apostolos Tsitsipas, was also present during today’s quarterfinal match.
