Stefanos Tsitsipas accidentally hits father with racket during outburst between sets
Normally, Nick Kyrgios has the worst temper on the tennis court. His opponent outdid him this time.Â
After Kyrgios took the first set on the fifth day of the ATP Cup from sixth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas on a tiebreaker — and ultimately won the match 7-6 (7), 6-7( 3), 7-6 (5) — Tsitsipas unleashed a tirade that included destroying the racket in his hand.Â
An unintended casualty of the outburst? His father and Greek captain Apostolos Tsitsipas. During one of his attempts to destroy the racket, the younger Tsitsipas accidentally hit his dad in the arm
That led to Tsitsipas’ mother, Julia, emerging from the crowd to stand behind the bench and criticize her 21-year-old son for his behavior.
“It happened accidentally, I didn’t mean to do it and straight away forgot about it and moved on from there,” Tsitsipas told reporters after the match. “It happens, I wasn’t aiming to do that. It just went out of control, unfortunately.”Â
“Maybe I’ll stay in my room for three days, grounded by my father,” he also joked.Â
Tsitsipas is a former junior world No. 1 and made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open last year. He turned pro in 2017 and has risen quickly to the top of the sport, in part thanks to a powerful serve and one-handed backhand. Last year, he defeated Dominic Thiem at the ATP Finals in London.Â
Contributing: Associated Press
