Stefanos Tsitsipas will make his return to tour-level competition at the Shanghai Masters, a month after his disappointing US Open campaign.
In the second round at Flushing Meadows, Tsitsipas fell to Daniel Altmaier in a five-set marathon, marking yet another early exit at a Grand Slam this season.
The Greek star has seen his ATP ranking fall to as low as 30th in the world this year, and has made two coaching changes amid his poor run of form.
After Tsitsipas parted ways with Goran Ivanisevic in the summer, he reappointed his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, and is now considering more changes in his coaching team.
Stefanos Tsitsipas assesses reappointment of his dad so far
Speaking ahead of his run in Shanghai, the 27-year-old told ATP Tour of his player-coach relationship with his dad: “We have changed our dynamic very much and I’m actually very happy the way we all cooperate and work together now.
“It’s very refreshing as a player to have this relationship with a father. It’s exactly where I wanted it to be for a long time now. And I’m happy. He has adjusted to my needs, and I have adjusted to his needs. And we have both created a type of dynamic that is one to be proud of.”
“My dad has been on the tour for a lot of years, even dating back to my mother’s playing days. So he has a lot of tennis in his life.
“I’m extremely proud to call him my coach and my father. But first of all, my father. Secondly, my coach. I definitely see [our current coaching partnership] as something sustainable.”
The former world number three then revealed: “I would be interested in the future to add a person to my team that can collaborate and work with my dad.
“Obviously, he’s not getting younger, so if I can find the right person, he can be by my dad’s side a little bit, with a clear, fresher mindset.
“That might also allow my dad to maybe take a step back a little bit to also enjoy life because it’s not only tennis. I’ve been reminding him and telling him this for a very long time.
“My focus would be a combination of seeing what my back allows me to do now and reconnecting a little bit with the wins. [At the] top of my list right now, I would definitely like to see a few matches in a row without back pain.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals the reason for his recent hospital visit
Tsitsipas recently issued a statement to set the record straight after misleading reports emerged that he had undergone back surgery.
Explaining the reason for his hospital visit, he said: “I won’t go into details, but it’s something that did help me a lot.
“I readjusted and fixed my back. So I’m just waiting to see how that responds in matches and how I’m able to compete in a much healthier state.”
In his first match at the Shanghai Masters, Tsitsipas will take on Nuno Borges, against whom he holds a winning record of 2-0.
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