Paula Badosa was eliminated in the round of 16 at the Brisbane tournament in Australia by Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina.
Known by fans as ‘Tsisidosa,’ the relationship between Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas ended in the summer of 2025. The couple started dating in 2023 and maintained a romantic relationship for around two years, with periods of separation.
The Spanish tennis player insisted there were no issues between them and that they shared a “great relationship,” but life simply took them in different directions. “You can be with the right person, but at the wrong time. Each of us has our own career and our own problems to deal with,” Badosa said.
Yulia Salnikova, Tsitsipas’ mother, gave an interview to the channel ‘BB Tenis’ in which she touched on various aspects of her son’s personal and professional life, including his past relationship with Badosa. The former Russian tennis player stated that the couple faced intense media exposure and were constantly in the public eye, something that could become overwhelming.
Salnikova was blunt when describing how Tsitsipas experienced that period: “They were a good couple, but for him it was a burden. He tried too hard.” According to her, the exhaustion stemmed not so much from the relationship itself, but from the surrounding environment and the added pressure it created. Yulia also explained that her son’s introverted personality likely influenced how he handled that phase: “The constant photos, the social media, and all the media attention gradually affected him. Although he said he liked it, inside it was building up.”
Tsitsipas during his first-round match in Madrid. / Europa Press
In the same interview, Salnikova commented that Tsitsipas has evolved in how he interacts with those around him, now being more open and communicative than before. She noted that he has managed to rebuild his relationship with his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, after a period of estrangement: “The only thing that needed to happen was for Stefanos to take the initiative. And it did.”
According to Yulia, much of the player’s personal transformation is linked to his current girlfriend, Kristen: “I think he has matured from every point of view. And the presence of his girlfriend has helped him tremendously. She has given him a very comfortable emotional life.”
Furthermore, she highlighted how well the young woman has integrated into the family: “I feel like I’ve known her for 90 years. She is a very sweet girl, she understands tennis, she played for the university, and she has built her own career in marketing and representation.”
