A source station for synchronization of transmission and reception of data in a cooperative communication system includes a first receiver to receive, from a destination station, a first request frame including information regarding a first point in time when a first response frame is to be transmitted; a first transmitter to transmit the first response frame to the destination station, at the first point in time; a second transmitter to transmit, to a relay station, a second request frame including information regarding a second point in time when a second response frame is to be transmitted; a second receiver to receive the second response frame transmitted by the relay station at the second point in time; and a time estimator to estimate a first propagation delay time between the source station and the relay station, based on a time in which the second response frame is received.