Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas reaches Almaty Open quarterfinals
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2 to reach the Almaty Open quarterfinals.
The former world No. 3 is rebuilding after splitting with his father as coach.
Background
Stefanos Tsitsipas is a 28-year-old Greek tennis player, a 13-time ATP Tour champion and former world No. 3 who reached two Grand Slam finals, at the French Open in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2023. He finished in the Top 10 for five straight years from 2019 to 2023, but a back problem and a strained coaching relationship with his father, Apostolos, preceded a slide; by June 2026 his ranking had fallen to No. 88. He has since split professionally from his father and works with a team captained by coach Thomas Perrin under the supervision of Patrick Mouratoglou.
How it unfolded
- 2021Tsitsipas reached his first Grand Slam final at the French Open, leading Novak Djokovic by two sets before losing in five, and hit a career-high world No. 3.
- January 2023He reached his second Major final at the Australian Open, losing to Djokovic in straight sets.
- August 2024Tsitsipas ended his long-time collaboration with his father Apostolos as coach, appointing Greece Davis Cup captain Dimitris.
- June 2026Stefanos and Apostolos Tsitsipas parted professional ways; by then his ranking had dropped to No. 88.
- Oct 20, 2026Ranked No. 39, Tsitsipas beat Aleksandar Kovacevic 7-6(9), 3-6, 6-3 in a two-hour first-round match in Almaty, saving three set points in the first-set tie-break.
- Oct 22, 2026Seventh-seeded Tsitsipas beat Kazakhstan wild card Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour, firing eight aces, to reach the quarterfinals in the last tournament of the 38-year-old Kukushkin's career.
- Oct 23, 2026Tsitsipas was reported at No. 39 with a 36-22 record for 2026, set to play James Duckworth in the Almaty quarterfinal.
Who’s saying what
- Player
- Tsitsipas says he loves his father as a father and that their relationship has improved now that Apostolos is not his coach, and that a healthy body made the key difference in the latter half of this year.
- Player
- On a Grand Slam title, he said he could maybe one day be a winner later in life, or not, but that he has given it a try and tried all kinds of things to get there.
- Analysts
- Coverage cites his win over Taylor Fritz at the Shanghai Masters as a statement result and evidence he may be back, while noting middling Grand Slam and Masters performances in 2026.