Tsitsipas’s mother shares intimate details into his relationship with Badosa
Stefanos Tsitsipas’s mother reflected on his injury-ridden season, his difficult breakup with Paula Badosa, and her own role in the troubled coaching decision involving Goran Ivanisevic
The year 2025 has been far from kind to Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek star has endured a difficult season plagued by injuries, a struggle that has led to a series of disappointing results and pushed him down to No. 34 in the world rankings—well below the level expected of a player of his stature.
Adding to his challenges was his breakup with Paula Badosa, with whom he had formed one of the most high-profile couples in the tennis world.
His mother, Yulia Salnikova, addressed the situation in recent hours, acknowledging how demanding the relationship had been.
“I don’t want to go into details because I have an agreement with the team. The most accurate answer would be: the relationship was not easy for him,” she said in an interview with Sports.ru.
“It was an interesting relationship. It wasn’t a typical one, because it was long-distance. And they both started it while injured and dealing with physical pain. When they began dating, Paula couldn’t play at all due to a back injury. The relationship was complicated from the very beginning,” added Salnikova, who also discussed other aspects of her son’s daily life.
“He has so many interests outside of tennis that he struggles to fully integrate into the tennis community. It doesn’t stimulate him enough. This may be his first major issue in professional sport. And I knew this would happen—I’ve been by his side since childhood. I knew he would face problems with motivation,” she noted.
She also revealed that she was the one who suggested Goran Ivanisevic after Tsitsipas decided to stop working with his father as coach.
“Goran treated Djokovic like someone he genuinely cherished, someone who needed unconditional support. Ivanisevic was willing to do anything for Djokovic, ready to indulge any request. And that won me over,” she said.
“But it turned out to be an illusion. Observing that relationship, I naively assumed it could be the same with the next player. But that kind of bond happens only once in a lifetime; it cannot be replicated. I didn’t just recommend hiring him—I insisted. And I take full responsibility. I accept the blame for it being the wrong decision,” she concluded.
She also revealed that she was the one who suggested Goran Ivanisevic after Tsitsipas decided to stop working with his father as coach.
“Goran treated Djokovic like someone he genuinely cherished, someone who needed unconditional support. Ivanisevic was willing to do anything for Djokovic, ready to indulge any request. And that won me over,” she said.
“But it turned out to be an illusion. Observing that relationship, I naively assumed it could be the same with the next player. But that kind of bond happens only once in a lifetime; it cannot be replicated. I didn’t just recommend hiring him—I insisted. And I take full responsibility. I accept the blame for it being the wrong decision,” she concluded.
