Patrick Mouratoglou has launched a scathing attack on Goran Ivanisevic, accusing the Croatian coach of failing in his duties by publicly criticising Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Ivanisevic had delivered a brutal assessment of his player following Tsitsipas's first-round retirement at Wimbledon due to a back injury whilst trailing Valentin Royer by two sets.
Speaking to Sport Klub on Serbian television, the former Wimbledon champion said: "I was shocked; I've never seen a more unprepared player in my life. With this knee, I'm three times more prepared than him. This is really bad."
The Croatian, who began coaching Tsitsipas in May after parting ways with Novak Djokovic, questioned the player's commitment.
Patrick Mouratoglou has launched a scathing attack on Goran Ivanisevic, accusing the Croatian coach of failing in his duties by publicly criticising Stefanos Tsitsipas
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"He wants to [return to the top level], but he doesn't do anything. It's always 'I want, I want,' but I don't see any progress," Ivanisevic stated.
In a video posted on his Instagram account, Mouratoglou has now hit back.
He said: "Goran going to the press and criticising his player is not coaching. Even more, at that time, they've just started to work together, so no trust is made. You're already killing the person publicly."
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Stefanos Tsitsipas struggled at Wimbledon this year
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The former Tsitsipas coach suggested Ivanisevic was attempting to distance himself from the Greek player's poor results.
"In a way, it makes me feel that [Ivanisevic] is ashamed of the result and he wants to separate himself from Stefanos to say, 'It's not me, I'm good.' He is not good. That's his fault," he added.
The 26-year-old Greek has endured a dramatic decline from his career-high world No 3 ranking, suffering his third first-round exit in the last four Grand Slams.
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Tsitsipas, who has reached two Grand Slam finals, currently sits at world number 26 and has struggled to recapture his best form over the past year.
The player traced his difficulties back to a back injury sustained at the 2023 ATP Finals.
"Since [the 2023 ATP Finals], I've been very fragile with my body, and I've been battling a war of feeling healthy and feeling comfortable going to the extremes, which has been a difficult battle," he explained.
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His partnership with Ivanisevic began in May, with hopes that the Croatian's expertise from coaching Djokovic would revive his fortunes.
Following his Wimbledon withdrawal, Tsitsipas offered an emotional reflection on his ongoing struggles.
"It's tough to describe. I'm battling many wars these days," the Greek player said. "It's really painful to see myself in a situation like this."
Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon during his own playing days
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Despite his efforts to address his physical issues, Tsitsipas expressed frustration at the lack of progress.
"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 on everything that I possibly can do," he stated.
"Right now, I'm just absolutely left with no answers. I don't know what to do."