Stefanos Tsitsipas’ struggles on the tennis court have now become part of a much more personal conversation off and on. The former world No. 3’s mother, Julia Salnikova, has openly suggested that his highly public relationship with Paula Bados has negatively affected both his game and his emotional balance.
Once considered one of the biggest future stars in men’s tennis after reaching the 2023 Australian Open final and the 2021 French Open final, Tsitsipas has fallen significantly in the rankings and is currently ranked 75th in the world.
Speaking about her son’s former relationship with Badosa, Salnikova admitted that the attention surrounding the couple was slowly becoming too much for the Greek star.
“They were a good couple, but it was a burden for him. He was trying too hard,” said Salnik.
“The constant photos, social networks and all the media attention gradually took its toll on him. Even though he said he liked it, it was building up inside.”
Tsitsipas and Badosa became one of the most famous tennis couples during their relationship. The two regularly appeared together on social media, posed for magazine shoots and even started a joint Instagram account called ‘Tsitsidosa’, which quickly became popular among fans.
But while the relationship attracted huge attention online, both players struggled for consistency on the court during this period.
Badosa, once ranked world No. 2, has struggled with repeated injury setbacks in recent years and has even hinted at retirement discussions despite being just 28 years old.
Tsitsipas, meanwhile, has struggled to rediscover the form that once made him a regular contender deep into Grand Slams.
WHY HAS TSITSIPAS FAILED IN RECENT YEARS?
Tsitsipas’ decline has been one of the most surprising slumps on the ATP Tour over the past two seasons.
It wasn’t long ago that he was being talked about alongside the next generation expected to take over men’s tennis after the dominance of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Instead, injuries, inconsistency and confidence issues slowly pushed him down the rankings.
His second-round exit at the French Open last year summed up the struggles. Sharpness seemed to be lacking in big moments and his results are increasingly unpredictable compared to his peak years between 2021 and 2023.
Interestingly, Tsitsipas himself recently hinted that dating another tennis player might not always work out smoothly.
Answering questions from fans on social media, the Greek star said: “Non-tennis girlfriend. Trust me. Even if you don’t want to admit there’s competition, there’s always competition.”
This answer only added more attention to the talks about his past relationship with Badosa.
Who is STEFANOS TSITSIPAS dating NOW?
After splitting from Badosa for the second time in 2025, Tsitsipas later went public with his relationship with Kristen Thoms.
And according to the mother, the difference was already noticeable in her personal life.
“I think he’s matured in every way,” Salnik said of Thoms.
“She provided him with a very comfortable emotional life.
Salnikova also described Thoms as someone who fit naturally into their family while helping Tsitsipas find the kind of emotional stability he had always wanted.
“She’s a very nice girl, she understands tennis, she played in college and she’s also built her own career in marketing and representation,” she said.
“Their relationship even develops in an epistolary way. They don’t just exchange messages or texts, they write real letters. Stefanos dreamed of such a relationship.”
Tsitsipas will next focus on the French Open, where he remains one of the most dangerous players on clay despite recent struggles.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
10 May 2026 17:39 IST
