Stefanos Tsitsipas: “There’s a Lot of Peace in My Life, and Peace Brings Clarity” — Greek Star Seeks Deep 2026 US Open Run Under New Coaching Setup
Former World No. 3 and two-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas heads into the 2026 US Open feeling better about his game than he has in years.
His renewed optimism has less to do with the big-hitting style that kept him anchored in the Top 10 for much of the past decade and everything to do with the peace of mind he has uncovered off the court.
After years of being coached by his father, Apostolos, Tsitsipas made the decision earlier this year to revamp his team. He appointed Patrick Mouratoglou—former coach of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka—to lead a coaching setup alongside Thomas Perrin that he hopes will anchor the rest of his career.
“There’s a lot of peace in my life, and peace brings clarity,” Tsitsipas told USOpen.org. “Regardless of what happens in the weeks to come, I have established peace and a safe, loving, caring environment around me that allows me to just be at my best. I think whatever success or whatever good things might come in the next months to come, it will always be contributed to that.”
Setting Boundaries and Eliminating Pressure
Under his father’s guidance, Tsitsipas achieved unprecedented success for Greek tennis, winning 13 tour-level titles and reaching two Grand Slam finals. However, recent seasons were marred by back injuries and internal team friction.
Since partnering with Mouratoglou and Perrin in June, Tsitsipas captured his first ATP title in 16 months in Gstaad and established crucial boundaries within his team dynamic.
“My coaches are very understanding of any of my situations, and they’re very collaborative, and we’ve set boundaries,” Tsitsipas explained. “I feel like before… there was a lack of boundaries on certain occasions, and I’ve established certain boundaries and certain things that allow me to function within a space that makes me feel good.”
“My father, who I love very much and he’s a very important figure, person in my life, he would typically get a little bit more emotional, and that’s just how he is,” Tsitsipas added. “I’m not blaming him for anything… But I feel like there’s no common understanding of certain situations, and it adds a little bit more pressure to me. So I feel like that pressure has been eliminated.”
Redefining His Game for Flushing Meadows
Now ranked just outside the Top 50, Tsitsipas is focused on recapturing the aggressive baseline game that saw him defeat Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal before his 21st birthday.
“I want to be the most dangerous version of [myself] that I’ve ever been on a tennis court,” Tsitsipas declared.
While Tsitsipas holds a 235-134 career record on hard courts, Flushing Meadows has historically proven challenging, with the Greek yet to advance past the third round in Queens. Working daily with Perrin on solidifying his serve and backhand, Tsitsipas enters his ninth US Open main draw with a completely fresh mindset.
“To get more confidence, you need to win more matches. To win more matches, you need more confidence,” Perrin told USOpen.org. “That’s why you need to put the work in, keep improving the game on a daily basis during practices, have some discipline on the court, and then everything will be back together.”
