Everything Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mum said about the tennis power couple following their split in bombshell interview
- Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother, Julia Salnikova, offered insight into her son’s connection with Paula Badosa, describing it as an “interesting relationship.” She openly admitted, however, that the partnership was challenging for both athletes right from its very beginning.
- Salnikova confirmed that the breakup with Badosa was a significant factor in her son experiencing a difficult past year on the tour. She explicitly stated that dealing with the separation “wasn’t easy” for him and contributed to his professional struggles.
- A key challenge was the inherent long-distance nature of their relationship, as both are professional tennis players constantly travelling. This made it impossible for them to have an “ordinary, dull, everyday relationship,” adding continuous strain.
- The couple entered the romance while both were struggling with serious injuries and experiencing physical pain. The mother noted that Paula Badosa was completely sidelined due to a back problem when they first started dating, making the foundation unstable.
- Julia Salnikova, a former player herself, reflected on her son’s emotional response, noting that men can be more sensitive to such personal issues than she previously thought. She had initially felt a male professional athlete should not react so emotionally, but found Tsitsipas was deeply affected.
- The high-profile relationship, dubbed “Tsitsidosa,” first went public during the 2023 French Open. The couple experienced an initial breakup, followed by a brief reconciliation of three weeks, before splitting up permanently in June 2025.
- The relationship difficulties coincided with Tsitsipas’ challenging 2025 season, in which he struggled with form and his own back injury. He finished the year outside the ATP Top 30, marking the first time his ranking had dropped that low since 2018.
- Paula Badosa, who recently declared herself ‘sexy’ and ‘single’, also faced a tough 2025 season riddled with injury, failing to secure any titles that year. Her persistent back issue, which pre-dated the relationship, added stress and complication to both her personal life and career.
