'DID GORAN SAY THAT?': TSITSIPAS' COACH SHARES BRUTAL TAKE, DIVIDES OPINION

(Getty/Tim Clayton)

Stefanos Tsitsipas' new coach, Goran Ivanišević, has unleashed an unbelievable tirade on the Greek star, admitting to having "never seen a more unprepared player" in his life.

A chronic back injury caused Tsitsipas' Wimbledon campaign to come to a premature end, retiring after two sets in the opening round against Valentin Royer.

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Post-match, the two-time Slam runner-up hinted at a possible early retirement because of health reasons.

"This is going to be hard, but if I see it going in that trajectory, there is no point [in] competing, he confessed. "If I'm not healthy, and I've talked about health so many times, if health is not there, then your whole tennis life becomes miserable."

In a desperate attempt to salvage his career, Tsitsipas hired Ivanišević, a previous Wimbledon champion, before to commence the grass court swing.

But Ivanišević, who previously coached Novak Djokovic for six years, provided a scathing assessment of Tsitsipas’ application and mentality.

"He wants, but he doesn't do anything. All 'I want, I want', but I don't see that progress. I was shocked. I have never seen a more unprepared player in my life. With this knee, I am three times more fit than him. This is really bad," he told Sportklub.

"It's simple and it's not simple. I've talked to him a lot of times. If he solves some things outside of tennis, then he has a chance and he'll return to where he belongs, because he's too good a player to be out of the top-10."

However, those words are a stark contrast to what Tsitsipas expressed after his Wimbledon mid-match retirement.

"I've tried everything. I've done an incredible job with my fitness. I've done an incredible job with my physiotherapy, so I've maximised everything that I possibly can do," the Greek star said.

The Tennis Channel discussed Ivanišević's surprising comments, with four-time major winner Jim Courier originally thinking "it was a joke".

"I've honestly asked a number of times, ‘Is that a spoof?’ because as much as a truth teller Goran is, you expect a coach to be more cagey with those comments," the former world No.1 said.

"I don't speak Croatian. I would like to hear the tone that he used, because I think a lot of that would probably tell us what he was really trying to tell, but if you're Tsitsipas and listening to our show, you're going, 'What the x is going on here?'"

Another former No.1, Lindsay Davenport, chimed in: "When I first heard it, I thought, 'Oh, they're not working together anymore.' Obviously you need the context behind it, but it's a complicated case to go in and work with Tsitsipas, who's been coached by both his parents his whole career."

Without shock, fans were quick to have their say on social media, with opinions evenly split.

A stunned comment on X read: "Is this serious? Did Goran say that?", while another fan disagreed with Ivanišević's choice to go public, saying: "That's crazy, and not professional. Certain things should be kept confidential. If the partnership didn't work out, better to say they have different views instead of embarrassing the player."

Others, however, showed their support towards the Croatian coach’s tough love approach.

"Wow. Sounds like a short-lived partnership but something Tsitsipas needs to hear," wrote one person on X.

"This is the type of coach one needs," a reply read.

Last month, the Greek star dropped out of the world's top-20 for the first time since 2018.

Off the court, rumours have rapidly spread regarding Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa’s romantic relationship ending.

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