Stefanos Tsitsipas has rolled back a personal attack on Nick Kyrgios in which he blasted the Australian’s “uneducated” tennis in the Netfox Break Point reality series.
The Greek said his criticism of last summer’s Wimbledon runner-up had been “misinterpreted,” adding that he in no way intended to be racist.
Malaysian-Greek Aussie Kyrgios is an acquired taste for many, with his on-court persona and explosive temper considered confrontational in many circumstances.
He and Tsitsipas have had bad blood in the past; Kyrgios has won four of their five matches – including two on grass in 2022: at Halle and an infamous Wimbledon third round clash.
Tsitsipas did not hold back for the documentary cameras when speaking of basketball-mad Kyrgios.
“He’s brought that NBA basketball attitude to tennis. I would describe it as an uneducated approach of playing tennis, the world No. 5 Greek said..
“But you know tennis is a gentleman’s sport, it’s all about respect.
“We are not playing basketball. I feel he was trying to destroy my rhythm. He kept putting his towel in my box (onb court during their match).”
With the reality series now in release, Tsitsipas is rolling back the tape, calling his remarks an “unfortunate misunderstanding that has a distorted picture of my intentions.”
His Saturday Facebook statement added: “It has come to my attention that some individuals have misinterpreted my comments regarding Nick Kyrgios… insinuating racism where none exists.
“I want to emphasise that I harbour no prejudice towards anyone based on their background, ethnicity, or interests. I deeply regret if my words were misinterpreted or caused offence, as that was never my intention.”
Tsitsipas added that his remarks were not meant to undermine Kyrgios’ ability or intelligence.
“Moving forward, I commit to being more mindful of my words and the impact they may have.”
After his Wimbledon loss in July, 2022, Tsitsipas called the 31st-ranked Kyrgios “bully” with an “evil side.”
Kyrgios, working to overcome the knee injury which forced him to withdraw from the Halle ATP event this week, suggested that he and his rival were now “all good.
He tweeted: “Sometimes as players we go into these press conferences without digesting the match..
“It was a very heated battle. We’ve had some crazy battles and I know deep down you like my brand of tennis. We are all good.”
Main photo:- Tsitsipas and Kyrgios faced each other at Halle in 2022 by ATP
