Stefanos Tsitsipas' mother blames Paula Badosa for son's decline in tennis
Yulia Salnikova said the intense publicity around Stefanos Tsitsipas' relationship with Paula Badosa became a burden for him. Her remarks have renewed attention on his dip in form and the role personal life has played in it.
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ struggles on the tennis court have now become part of a much more personal conversation off it too. The former World No. 3’s mother, Yulia Salnikova, has openly suggested that his highly public relationship with Paula Badosa negatively affected both his game and emotional balance.
Tsitsipas, once seen as one of the biggest future stars of men’s tennis after reaching the Australian Open final in 2023 and the French Open final in 2021, has slipped significantly in the rankings and currently sits 75th in the world.
Speaking about her son’s former relationship with Badosa, Salnikova admitted the attention surrounding the couple slowly became too much for the Greek star.
“They were a good couple, but it was a burden for him. He was trying too hard,” Salnikova said.
“The constant photos, social media, and all the media attention gradually affected him. Although he said he liked it, internally, it was piling up.”
Tsitsipas and Badosa became one of tennis’ most public celebrity couples during their relationship. The two regularly appeared together on social media, posed for magazine shoots and even launched a joint Instagram account called ‘Tsitsidosa’, which quickly became popular among fans.
But while the relationship drew huge online attention, both players struggled for consistency on court during that period.
Badosa, who was once ranked World No. 2, has battled repeated injury setbacks in recent years and has even hinted at retirement discussions despite being only 28.
Tsitsipas, meanwhile, has struggled to rediscover the form that once made him a regular contender deep into Grand Slams.
WHY HAS TSITSIPAS STRUGGLED IN RECENT YEARS?
Tsitsipas’ dip has been one of the more surprising declines on the ATP Tour over the last two seasons.
Not too long ago, he was being discussed 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 have slowly pushed him down the rankings.
His second-round exit at the French Open last year summed up the struggles. The sharpness in big moments has looked missing, and his results have become increasingly unpredictable compared to his peak years between 2021 and 2023.
Interestingly, Tsitsipas himself recently hinted that dating another tennis player may not always work smoothly.
While answering fan questions on social media, the Greek star said: “Non-tennis girlfriend. Trust me. Even if you don’t want to admit there’s competitiveness, there’s always competitiveness.”
That answer only added more attention to conversations around his past relationship with Badosa.
WHO IS STEFANOS TSITSIPAS DATING NOW?
After splitting from Badosa for a second time in 2025, Tsitsipas later went public with his relationship with Kristen Thoms.
And according to his mother, the difference in his personal life has already been noticeable.
“I think he has matured from all points of view,” Salnikova said while speaking about Thoms.
“She has provided him with a very comfortable emotional life.”
Salnikova also described Thoms as someone who has blended naturally into their family while helping Tsitsipas find the kind of emotional stability he had always wanted.
“She is a very sweet girl, understands tennis, played for college, and has also built her own career in marketing and representation,” she said.
“Their relationships even develop in an epistolary manner. They don’t just exchange messages or texts; they write actual letters. Stefanos dreamed of a relationship like this.”
Tsitsipas will next turn his focus towards the French Open, where he remains one of the more dangerous players on clay despite his recent struggles.
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ struggles on the tennis court have now become part of a much more personal conversation off it too. The former World No. 3’s mother, Yulia Salnikova, has openly suggested that his highly public relationship with Paula Badosa negatively affected both his game and emotional balance.
Tsitsipas, once seen as one of the biggest future stars of men’s tennis after reaching the Australian Open final in 2023 and the French Open final in 2021, has slipped significantly in the rankings and currently sits 75th in the world.
Speaking about her son’s former relationship with Badosa, Salnikova admitted the attention surrounding the couple slowly became too much for the Greek star.
“They were a good couple, but it was a burden for him. He was trying too hard,” Salnikova said.
“The constant photos, social media, and all the media attention gradually affected him. Although he said he liked it, internally, it was piling up.”
Tsitsipas and Badosa became one of tennis’ most public celebrity couples during their relationship. The two regularly appeared together on social media, posed for magazine shoots and even launched a joint Instagram account called ‘Tsitsidosa’, which quickly became popular among fans.
But while the relationship drew huge online attention, both players struggled for consistency on court during that period.
Badosa, who was once ranked World No. 2, has battled repeated injury setbacks in recent years and has even hinted at retirement discussions despite being only 28.
Tsitsipas, meanwhile, has struggled to rediscover the form that once made him a regular contender deep into Grand Slams.
WHY HAS TSITSIPAS STRUGGLED IN RECENT YEARS?
Tsitsipas’ dip has been one of the more surprising declines on the ATP Tour over the last two seasons.
Not too long ago, he was being discussed 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 have slowly pushed him down the rankings.
His second-round exit at the French Open last year summed up the struggles. The sharpness in big moments has looked missing, and his results have become increasingly unpredictable compared to his peak years between 2021 and 2023.
Interestingly, Tsitsipas himself recently hinted that dating another tennis player may not always work smoothly.
While answering fan questions on social media, the Greek star said: “Non-tennis girlfriend. Trust me. Even if you don’t want to admit there’s competitiveness, there’s always competitiveness.”
That answer only added more attention to conversations around his past relationship with Badosa.
WHO IS STEFANOS TSITSIPAS DATING NOW?
After splitting from Badosa for a second time in 2025, Tsitsipas later went public with his relationship with Kristen Thoms.
And according to his mother, the difference in his personal life has already been noticeable.
“I think he has matured from all points of view,” Salnikova said while speaking about Thoms.
“She has provided him with a very comfortable emotional life.”
Salnikova also described Thoms as someone who has blended naturally into their family while helping Tsitsipas find the kind of emotional stability he had always wanted.
“She is a very sweet girl, understands tennis, played for college, and has also built her own career in marketing and representation,” she said.
“Their relationships even develop in an epistolary manner. They don’t just exchange messages or texts; they write actual letters. Stefanos dreamed of a relationship like this.”
Tsitsipas will next turn his focus towards the French Open, where he remains one of the more dangerous players on clay despite his recent struggles.
