'He Wants, But Doesn't Do Anything': Coach Ivanisevic Lambasts Tsitsipas After Wimbledon Exit

Last Updated:July 05, 2025, 16:58 IST

Goran Ivanisevic criticized Stefanos Tsitsipas after his first-round retirement at Wimbledon, calling him the most "unprepared player" he's ever seen.

Tsitsipas with Ivanisevic in training (X)

Goran Ivanisevic delivered a blistering critique of Stefanos Tsitsipas following the Greek player’s first-round retirement at Wimbledon, calling him the most “unprepared player" he’s ever seen.

Tsitsipas, currently ranked world No. 26, was forced to retire from his opening-round match on Monday while trailing 6-3, 6-2 to French qualifier Valentin Royer.

The 26-year-old cited a recurring back injury as the reason for his withdrawal, marking yet another setback in what has become a frustrating season.

A two-time Grand Slam finalist — runner-up at the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open — Tsitsipas admitted after the loss that he had no solutions to his ongoing fitness concerns.

Tsitsipas hired former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic as his coach in May in an effort to reverse a run of disappointing results at major tournaments. However, the partnership has yet to bear fruit. The former world No. 3 has reached just one quarter-final in his last nine Grand Slam appearances — a significant slide for a player once seen as a consistent contender.

“He Wants To, But He Doesn’t Do Anything"

Speaking to Serbian broadcaster Sport Klub after Tsitsipas’ retirement, Ivanisevic did not hold back in his assessment of the Greek star’s preparation and mindset.

“It’s simple and it’s not simple. I’ve talked to him a lot of times," Ivanisevic said. “If he solves some things outside of tennis, then he has a chance and he’ll return to where he belongs, because he’s too good a player to be out of the top 10."

He continued: “He wants to, but he doesn’t do anything. All ‘I want, I want,’ but I don’t see that progress… I was shocked. I have never seen a more unprepared player in my life. With this knee, I am three times more fit than him. This is really bad."

Ivanisevic, who famously won Wimbledon in 2001 as a wildcard, has built a strong reputation as a coach in recent years. He was instrumental in Novak Djokovic’s dominance between 2019 and 2023, helping the Serbian win nine of his record 24 Grand Slam titles.

After parting ways with Djokovic in March 2024, Ivanisevic briefly joined the team of world No. 11 Elena Rybakina before linking up with Tsitsipas.

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

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