'There were kids in his class who beat him up' - Stefanos Tsitsipas' mother reveals the Tennis star was bullied as a kid

Lulia Salnikova shared details about her son Stefanos Tsitsipas' childhood and his relationship with his father. The mother of the Greek tennis player, a former tennis player herself, disclosed on ANT1's "Breakfast" that Tsitsipas used to eat wood from other children at school. She also addressed the conflicts he had with his father and his coach, Apostle, up until recently.

Stefanos's mother disclosed that he had been in Paris since the age of three. Despite experimenting with football, he ultimately opted for tennis, a decision she fully supported. Stefanos also went to primary school in the area.

Stefanos's mom revealed her son was bullied 

She described her son as a reserved and shy child. She mentioned that due to his commitment to sports, he frequently missed classes, and the kids in his class were far from friendly, often treating him poorly.

She reminisced about the days when her child was bullied by two or three children in his class. It was a tough time for Stefanos, but he persevered, thanks to his dedication to tennis. His focus on the sport truly helped him overcome these obstacles.

“He was a very quiet child and very shy. Due to sports he skipped lessons and the children he had in the class cannot be called friends, because they treated him very badly.” : She shared

“There were two – three kids in his class who sometimes beat him up quite a bit. It wasn't easy for Stefanos then, but he got over it because he had tennis and his mind to help him go forward. And that helped him a lot.”: She added

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Stefanos's relationship with his father 

Stefanos has been performing well, but his commitment to tennis hasn't been as strong as expected. Despite facing challenges in his personal life, he remains dedicated to his profession.

He has deep affection for his father but recognizes the need for a new coach. Since his defeat at the US Open in 2020, there have been discussions about finding a new coach for Stefanos due to strained relations with Apostolos. Stefanos has decided to seek a new coach, and while this change is significant, it is not a tragedy.

"Stefanos has done very well so far, but he doesn't have that big of feelings about tennis. There were things in his life that upset him, but made him happy. He is a professional and although he loves his father very much, he understands that he needs to find another coach. Since 2020, when he lost at the US Open, we said with Apostolos that Stefanos should change his coach. But four years passed and Stefanos was bringing good results. However, I think that Stefanos and Apostolos did not have a good relationship since then, they had constant conflicts. And that's why Stefanos decided to change his coach... We don't see it as a tragedy."  - She revealed.

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