Since we are watching the father-son coaching split happen yet again in 2026, many people believe Stefanos Tsitsipas will eventually return to his parents for training. However, this time feels different because he has hired Thomas Perrin from the Mouratoglou Academy, with Patrick Mouratoglou overseeing the project. Although Tsitsipas has trained at the academy since 2015 and that is exactly why critics still wonder whether he is truly ready to change his techniques because of his back-and-forth coaching decisions and his father’s continued involvement. However, Tsitsipas’ new coach has now hit back at those doubts.

“When you’ve been a top player, and you’re struggling to get back to your previous level, anyone in his situation would have been a bit overwhelmed,” the coach said in an interview with Eurosport. “When someone is struggling, it’s easy to highlight their weaknesses. But Stefanos isn’t going to switch to a two-handed backhand just because some people think it’s over“!

Notably, Tsitsipas is among the few players of his generation who still use a one-handed backhand, a shot also made famous by Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, and Justine Henin. However, despite being criticized for it at times, Tsitsipas remains reluctant to switch to a two-handed backhand. His coach also supports that decision, making it unlikely that the 27-year-old will make any major changes to the shot.

“We’re thinking about how to optimize his backhand, particularly by using the slice. But the priority remains to give him a clear direction, based on his strengths, and to stick to it regardless of the score,” he continued.

Tsitsipas’ backhand slice is important because it can protect his one-handed backhand, disrupt an opponent’s rhythm, and give him time to recover when rushed. However, the shot is only useful when executed well. In the 2021 French Open final, Djokovic forced Tsitsipas to slice more often, but Tsitsipas won only about 24% of those points, exposing the weakness of the shot. Against Taylor Fritz at the 2022 Australian Open, the slice added variety but had little initial impact. So excelling in slice along with one-handed backhand is the strategy for now, according to the coach.

Despite some encouraging signs, Tsitsipas’ 2026 season has largely been disappointing. He advanced beyond the second round in only four tournaments. His clay swing was especially poor, with just five wins across six events before a second-round French Open exit to Matteo Arnaldi. His struggles continued on grass, with a first-round loss in Mallorca and another second-round exit at Wimbledon.

This run of form saw his ranking drop out of the top 80. But Tsitsipas turned the tables around at the Swiss Open under Perrin’s guidance. He played his best tennis of the year in Gstaad and went on to win five consecutive matches to lift his first title in over a year and the 13th ATP title of his career.

Notably, four out of Tsitsipas’ five matches went into the deciding third set, and he came out victorious in each one of them. So, he did have to work incredibly hard for the triumph. This result saw him climb to No. 51 on the rankings. But unfortunately for Tsitsipas, the official entry list for both the Canadian and Cincinnati Open had already been decided before his title win.

As a result, the Greek will now have to revisit a route he had last taken in 2018 if he wants to reach the main draw of the two tournaments.

Stefanos Tsitsipas to enter as a qualifier in Montreal and Cincinnati

After failing to bag a wildcard in either of the events, Tsitsipas will now have to get past the qualifiers to reach the main draw. The likes of Jack Draper, Alexis Galarneau, Gabriel Diallo, Gael Monfils and Liam Draxl were handed wildcards for the Montreal Masters.

On the other hand, Stan Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov, Gael Monfils and Jack Draper were the ones to get a wildcard for the Cincinnati Masters. The event also provided a qualifying wildcard to Kei Nishikori.

Strangely, Tsitsipas wasn’t given a wildcard even though he has reached the final of both tournaments on one occasion each. He had reached the final of the Canadian Open in 2018 and the final of the Cincinnati Masters in 2022.

Tsitsipas began his campaign as a qualifier in Montreal on Saturday. He secured a spot in the main draw by defeating Keegan Rice 6-3, 6-4 in the qualifiers. This result saw him secure a spot in the main draw, and he will now be aiming to keep up his form in the upcoming rounds.

Tsitsipas will now be taking on Martin Damm Jr. in the first round. Like Tsitsipas, Damm had also entered the tournament as a qualifier. He had defeated Henrique Rocha 6-3, 7-6 in the qualifying round.

With the US Open main draw set for August 30 to September 13, 2026, Tsitsipas now has the perfect stage to prove that this coaching change is more than another temporary reset.