Boris Becker says former Novak Djokovic coach Goran Ivanisevic can be key to Stefanos Tsitsipas' success - 'It was about time'
Updated 30/05/2025 at 13:14 GMT+1
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Following another disappointing defeat at the French Open on Wednesday, two-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas has announced that he will work with Goran Ivanisevic. The Croatian is most famous for guiding Novak Djokovic to nine of his 24 Grand Slam titles, and he will now aim to improve the fortunes of Tsitsipas as the Greek prepares to fall out of the world's top 20.
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Boris Becker believes Goran Ivanisevic's experience at the top of tennis can take Stefanos Tsitsipas to the next level.
Tsitsipas has hired Ivanisevic as his new coach in an attempt to improve his fortunes on the court.
The two-time Grand Slam finalist's poor run of form continued on Wednesday when he suffered a second-round loss to qualifier Matteo Gigante at the French Open.
The defeat will see him drop out of the world’s top 20 for the first time since August 2018.
"It was about time for Tsitsipas to have an experienced coach and former world-class player by his side, with all due respect to his previous coaches," said the six-time Grand Slam winner.
"Goran knows the game of tennis. He’s won Wimbledon as a player and claimed numerous Grand Slam titles alongside Novak Djokovic.
"He knows exactly what needs to be done. It all starts on Monday - doesn’t the grass-court season begin then?"
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In August 2024, an outburst at his father during a match led to Tsitsipas announcing the end of their long-standing coaching relationship.
Tsitsipas then worked with Greece’s Davis Cup captain, Dimitris Chatzinikolaou - but results have not improved despite winning the Dubai Tennis Championships in February.
Ahead of the Monte Carlo Masters, Tsitsipas said he was facing a "pivotal moment" in his career before he suffered a disappointing quarter-final defeat to Lorenzo Musetti.
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He fell to the same opponent at the Madrid Open, and lost to Arthur Fils at the Italian Open, as his on-court battles continued.
As a result, he has turned to Ivanisevic, who helped Novak Djokovic claim nine of his 24 Grand Slams before the pair parted ways in March 2024.
"Working with Goran is an exciting opportunity for me," said Tsitsipas.
"He is someone who has reached the highest levels of tennis, both as a player and as a coach. I am confident that his experience will help me grow further and I am really looking forward to that."
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Ivanisevic briefly worked with Elena Rybakina at the start of 2025 but the partnership ended following her fourth-round exit at the Australian Open.
"Stefanos is a very talented tennis player with a strong work ethic," said Ivanisevic.
"He has shown that he belongs among the best, and I’m happy to be part of the next steps of his journey.
"My goal is to enable him to thrive, building on the strong foundation he has already laid."
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