STEFANOS TSITSIPAS has been branded “unfit” and “a disaster” by his own coach Goran Ivanisevic.
Former Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic, 53, only began working with the Greek at the start of the grass court season.
Having hired the ex-coach of Novak Djokovic, Tsitsipas would have been hoping for a big run in SW19.
But the 26-year-old crashed out in round one, retiring while down 6-3 6-2 to French qualifier Valentin Royer.
Ivanisevic watched the match from courtside having worked with Tsitsipas ahead of the tournament.
Speaking to Clay Magazine, the Croatian was asked if he had spoken to the former world No3 since the match.
Pulling no punches, Ivanisevic said: “I told him not to play tennis right now.
“He needs to fix his back and get physically fit because physically he’s a disaster.
“I can’t understand how a player of his level can be so unfit. After that, he can think about playing tennis again.”
Continuing his scathing assessment, Ivanisevic added: “I didn’t expect him to do well.
“His situation is clear: if he changes certain things on the court, and above all off the court, he’ll be fine.
“But if he doesn’t manage to change those things, then he doesn’t have a chance.
“To be honest, tennis is the least of his problems. The other stuff is much bigger. I’m sure Stefanos is a top 10 player. He’s played two Slam finals, won Masters titles, the ATP Finals…he’s a great player.
“The only question is how much he wants it. I believe in him being between fifth and 10th [in the rankings]. But if he keeps going like this, no chance.”
Following his defeat to Royer, Tsitsipas revealed that he has been suffering with back issues since the 2023 ATP Finals.
The former two-time Grand Slam finalist has fallen to No26 in the world rankings, and no longer looks like a contender to win tournaments.
Speaking about his new partnership with Ivanisevic, Tsitsipas said on Monday: “Oh, he’s great. We’re having a great time.
“I am very disappointed that I wasn’t able to show my potential the way I deserve to play on the court. It’s not easy. It’s not easy.
“I feel like even if he gives me the most amount of confidence in the world, if I don’t feel comfortable, if I don’t feel good with myself and my body, then I can’t really show anything.”
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Tsitsipas has broken up with long-term girlfriend Paula Badosa.
Reports surfaced just a day after both players crashed out of Wimbledon in round one.
The pair began dating in May 2023, and briefly broke up last year before quickly reconciling.
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