If you are searching for updates on Stefanos Tsitsipas’s girlfriend in 2026, you need to know that the highly publicized era of “Tsitsidosa” has officially come to a close. For years, the Greek tennis sensation and Spanish star Paula Badosa were the most talked-about power couple in the sporting world. However, after an emotional and heavily scrutinized breakup, Tsitsipas has completely moved on.
As the 2026 tennis season moves into high gear, the 27-year-old athlete has gone public with a brand new romance. His new partner, Kirsten Thoms, is no stranger to the tennis court herself, but her daily life looks vastly different from Badosa’s grueling tour schedule. Here is everything you need to know about Tsitsipas’s new relationship, their viral African getaway, and what his family really thought about his previous romance.
Who is Kirsten Thoms?
Unlike some celebrity couples who go out of their way to dodge the paparazzi and keep their partners hidden, Tsitsipas and Thoms are openly leaning into the public eye. Kirsten Thoms is a 28-year-old who actually shares a massive, foundational interest with the Greek star: she also has a deep background in competitive tennis.
Thoms played tennis at the collegiate level in the United States before ultimately deciding to step away from the sport competitively. Instead of grinding through the brutal professional ITF or WTA tours, she successfully pivoted her career toward the fashion and digital media industries. Today, she is a highly successful fashion model and social media influencer, partnering with major global lifestyle brands and sharing her travels with a massive online following.
For Tsitsipas, who has a famously artistic personality and a well-known passion for photography and videography, dating a creative influencer seems like a very natural fit. Their shared understanding of the intense demands of competitive tennis, combined with a mutual love for high-end aesthetics, has quickly made them a popular pairing among his loyal fanbase.
The Viral Namibia Trip
The couple officially confirmed their romance in early January 2026. Tsitsipas, who frequently uses his time off the court to produce high-quality travel vlogs for his YouTube channel, surprised his subscribers with a beautifully shot video documenting a holiday trip to Namibia.
Far from the predictable luxury of the Maldives or Dubai—destinations frequently favored by his peers on the ATP tour—Tsitsipas opted for an adventurous Southern African getaway. He specifically noted in a recent interview that he wanted to avoid doing “something banal” during his off-season. The vlog featured sweeping cinematic shots of the Namibian desert, a helicopter flight over the dramatic Skeleton Coast, and intimate dinners under the African sun. Most importantly, it heavily featured Thoms. The video served as a soft launch for their relationship, showing the couple smiling, exploring local cultures, and enjoying a deep sense of calm before the chaotic 2026 tennis calendar began.
The End of “Tsitsidosa” and His Mother’s Blunt Comments
To understand how Tsitsipas arrived at this peaceful new chapter, one has to look at the turbulent end of his previous relationship. He and Paula Badosa originally went public in 2023, instantly becoming the sport’s biggest duo. They briefly split in May 2024, reconciled weeks later, but ultimately called it quits for good following disappointing first-round exits at Wimbledon.
While the couple originally stated the split was an amicable result of intense career pressures and injuries, the situation recently became much more transparent. In late 2025, Stefanos’s mother, Julia Apostoli—herself a former professional tennis player—gave a highly revealing interview to the Serbian publication Telegraf.
Julia did not hold back, describing her son’s relationship with Badosa as “complicated from beginning to end.” She bluntly stated that the romance served as a major distraction from his tennis career. Furthermore, she noted that because both players were dealing with severe injuries when they started dating, the emotional toll of the relationship was immense. She criticized the emotional weight of their long-distance dynamic, essentially confirming that the breakup, while painful, was necessary for her son to regain his professional focus.
A Fresh Start on the Court in 2026
With the relationship drama completely behind him, Tsitsipas is entering the 2026 season with renewed energy and physical health. He recently told the media ahead of the Indian Wells Masters in March 2026 that he has finally overcome the severe back injuries that derailed his confidence over the past year.
He also made his ultimate career goal crystal clear, stating, “If I didn’t believe I could win a Grand Slam, I would quit tennis.” With his body finally healthy, Kirsten Thoms supporting him from the player’s box, and a clear mind free of the media circus that surrounded “Tsitsidosa,” Tsitsipas is laser-focused on climbing back up the ATP rankings and capturing that elusive major title.