What happened with Stefanos Tsitsipas and his father Apostolos? All about Greek star's controversial driving license suspension amid contrary claims

Stefanos Tsitsipas is making headlines back home in Greece, but not because of his tennis. The Greek player found himself in the middle of a controversy that was not even of his own making.

According to local media reports, Tsitsipas’ father, Apostolos, was found driving his son’s Lotus car at a high speed of 210 kmph (approximately 130 mph) on a highway in Athens where the actual permissible limit stood at 120 kmph. The car being registered in the tennis player’s name was enough for the penalty being traced back to him.

Rules in Tsitsipas’ home country do allow for a seven-day window to appeal traffic violation penalties or offer clarification in such instances. However, Tsitsipas’ family seems to have missed the deadline and the tennis player now faces a €2,000 fine. More importantly, it will be his licence that will be suspended for a 12-month period owing to the serious nature of the violation.

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Incident involving Stefanos Tsitsipas' father took place in September

Stefanos Tsitsipas with his father at the 2023 United Cup. (Source: Getty)

The incident was reported to have taken place in the month of September. The cameras installed on the Attiki Odos highway captured Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Lotus speeding at 210 kmph.

The Greek star’s team tried to reason by saying that the car was being driven by a third party. Further clarifications came from the legal team and family, varying from Tsitsipas being in the “passenger seat” to being away for a vacation in Africa at the time of the incident.

However, when the man behind the wheel was later put out to be his father, Apostolos, those clarifications ceased to matter. With the seven-day appeal window gone, even an admission of guilt from the tennis player’s father could not save the licence.

Tsitsipas, who otherwise lives in Monte Carlo, will now have to surrender his license for 12 months upon his return to Greece whenever that is.

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A look at Stefanos Tsitsipas and father Apostolos' complex relationsip

Stefanos Tsitsipas recently reunited with his father. (Source: Getty)

Stefanos Tsitsipas has been coached by his father Apostolos from a young age, but their longstanding partnership has not always been cordial. The tension has spilled onto the court in the form of outbursts and heated arguments, with the two even splitting for a brief period between 2024 and 2025.

He had spoken negatively about his father’s handling of certain situations after his loss to Kei Nishikori at the Montreal Masters at the back end of 2024. The match had seen some words being exchanged between the father-son duo, which Tsitsipas later admitted to regretting.

At the time of their split, the former World No. 3 had credited his father with shaping his career, but also highlighted the need for change. He said he would like for Apostolos to be with him in the capacity of a “father” alone and not his “coach”.

The experiment, however, was short-lived and the renewed their coaching set-up earlier this year, with the Greek player saying:

“It might not be something smooth that suddenly you see the right outcome out of it, of being back again with my father. That's not really what the whole point is,” Stefanos Tsitsipas had told ATP.com. “It is trying to figure out the person who cares the most about me and really is going to spend extra hours on the court, perfecting me, trying to get me as good as possible.”

After a poor 2025 season, Tsitsipas’ ranking has slipped all the way down to No. 34. He went 2-4 at Grand Slams this year and managed to make only one Tour-level final (a title in Dubai). With the off-season providing for time to reset, he will now be looking to turn a new leaf in 2026.