Stefanos Tsitsipas clarifies Nick Kyrgios comments after accusations of racism
- Michael Schmitt
- 24 June 2023
The Greek star issued a lengthy statement insisting he never had any racist intent when criticising Kyrgios after their third-round clash at Wimbledon last year.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has defended himself from accusations of racism over comments he made about Nick Kyrgios at last year's Wimbledon.
Tsitsipas and Kyrgios were involved in a fiery third-round clash at SW19 last year, which led to some pretty heated words after the match.
Highlights from the ill-tempered contest included Kyrgios receiving a warning for obscenity and hitting an underarm serve, and Tsitsipas receiving a code violation for narrowly missing a spectator after smashing the ball into the crowd out of frustration.
Afterwards, Tsitsipas said the Australian's approach to tennis was "uneducated" and that he had an "NBA basketball attitude" to the game.
The comments recently surfaced in the new series of Netflix's 'Break Point', which quickly led to accusations of racism on social media.
"He has brought that NBA basketball attitude to tennis. I would describe it as an uneducated approach of playing tennis. But you know tennis is a gentleman's sport, it's all about respect. We are not playing basketball," Tsitsipas said.
"There was zero respect coming out of my opponent that day. He kept pressing my buttons none stop - and of course I got annoyed. He just loves attention. And if he gets none of that, it is complete destruction."
In a lengthy statement issued on Friday, Tsitsipas said his words were "misinterpreted".
"It has come to my attention that some individuals have misinterpreted my comments regarding Nick Kyrgios...insinuating racism where none exists," the 24-year-old wrote on Facebook.
"I want to emphasize 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."
He added: "My previous remarks regarding Nick Kyrgios were not meant to undermine his intelligence or abilities. Instead, I simply intended to express my perspective on certain aspects of his playing style, drawing comparisons to the passion and intensity often associated with basketball.
"It was an attempt to highlight the dynamic and captivating nature of his approach to the game, not a criticism of his character or capabilities."
Tsitsipas added that "deeply regrets" any hurt he may have caused and would be "more mindful" of his words and their impact in the future.
Kyrgios has since responded to Tsitsipas' statement, admitting the match got very "heated" and telling the Greek star they were "all good."
"It was a very heated battle. Sometimes as players we go into these press conferences without digesting the match…. We've had some crazy battles and I know deep down you like my brand of tennis. We are all good Stefanos."
Kyrgios had knee surgery in January but hopes to be fit in time to play Wimbledon, which starts on 3 July.
It was a very heated battle 🙏🏽 sometimes as players we go into these press conferences without digesting the match…. We’ve had some crazy battles and I know deep down you like my brand of tennis 👀🤷🏽♂️ we are all good @steftsitsipas https://t.co/5y6dwP5zSM
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 24, 2023
