Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas’s mum blames his power-couple ex-girlfriend for ‘being a burden on him’ and dragging his career down from being world No 3

Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas had an in-depth analysis of his career setback by his own mother.

Tsitsipas, 27, was ranked third in the world and reached the finals of the Australian Open and French Open in 2023 and 2021 respectively, but has fallen significantly since then and is currently ranked 75th in the world.

However, the 6ft4 star’s not-so-private life stood out as much as his sporting talent throughout his career. Tsitsipas had an on-and-off relationship with tennis player Paula Badosa for two years before they split last year.

Badosa, once the women’s world No.2, is also struggling and appears to be considering retirement at just 28 after a series of injury nightmares.

And Tsitsipas’ outspoken mother, Yulia Salnikova, thinks that partnership is to blame for her son’s struggles on the pitch.

Yulia Salnikova thinks this relationship is responsible for her son’s struggles on the field

‘They were a good couple but it was a burden for him. “He was pushing himself too hard,” he said.

Tsitsipas and Badosa have been very public about their relationship; They appeared in magazine photo shoots and even opened a joint Instagram account ‘Tsitsidosa’ to please their fans.

“The constant photos, social media and media attention slowly took its toll on him,” his mother added. ‘Even though he said he liked it, it was piling up inside.’

Tsitsipas now has a new girlfriend, former college tennis player Kristen Thoms. Yulia seems to confirm more of his influence.

‘I feel like I’ve known him for 90 years. “She is a very sweet girl, she knows tennis, she played at university and has also established her own career in marketing and representation,” he said.

Badosa left little room for interpretation of her feelings after her ex-boyfriend recently said he would never date another professional player again.

While Tsitsipas was answering questions on social media, he was asked whether his preference would be to date a tennis player or a non-tennis player.

He replied: ‘Girlfriend who doesn’t play tennis. Trust me. Even if you don’t want to admit that competitiveness exists, there is always competitiveness.’

Badosa recently launched her own swimwear line and is considering retiring from tennis

The feeling was apparently mutual, with Badosa reacting to her ex-boyfriend’s comments with four laughing emojis.

The couple initially split “amicably” in May 2024, but got back together within three weeks, reigniting fans’ attention.

But by July last year they called things off again, with a source telling mass-market Spanish magazine ¡Hola!: ‘The split has just happened. Both lost in the first round in London [at Wimbledon] and it all came together for them.

‘[They] They were going through a difficult period professionally, there were injuries, and this affected their relationships.

‘Of course they’re not good. It is normal for every couple to break up. They started the new year very well, but their dreams were dashed.

‘This is a healthy separation and there was no influence from third parties or family, as has been said.

‘[They] They tried to make their relationship work, but it ultimately didn’t work. Ghosts from the past have returned, marked by the wounds they both suffered.

‘[The split is] It was between adults who loved each other very much and it was a mature decision.’