Stefanos Tsitsipas has said that his comments made on Netflixâs âBreak Pointâ docuseries about Nick Kyrgios were âmisinterpretedâ after some individuals on social media perceived them as racist.
Speaking about his third-round loss to the Australian at Wimbledon last year, Tsitsipas said in âBreak Pointâ that Kyrgiosâ approach to tennis is âuneducatedâ and that he brings âthat NBA basketball kind of attitudeâ to the sport.
The world No. 5 said in a statement Friday on social media: âIt has come to my attention that some individuals have misinterpreted my comments regarding Nick Kyrgios, labeling him as uneducated and accusing him of bringing a basketball mentality into tennis, insinuating racism where none exists.â
Tsitsipas wrote that he âdeeply regrets any hurt or offenseâ caused by his comments, adding that they âwere not meant to undermine (Kyrgiosâ) intelligence or abilities ⌠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.â
Kyrgios responded with a statement of his own on social media, saying on Saturday: âWeâve had some crazy battles and I know deep down you like my brand of tennis ⌠we are all good.â
Their Wimbledon match was âa very heated battle,â Kyrgios added, and âsometimes as players we got into these press conferences without digesting the match.â
Tempers had flared during their fiery encounter at Wimbledon. Tsitsipas hit a ball into the crowd, for which he later apologized, and admitted to trying to hit Kyrgios with a body shot. Both players were fined afterwards, Tsitsipas for unsportsmanlike conduct and Kyrgios for an audible obscenity.
They continued to trade barbs off the court â the Greek fourth seed calling his opponent âevilâ and a âbully,â while Kyrgios said Tsitsipas is ânot likedâ in the locker room.
After defeating Tsitsipas 6-7(2) 6-4 6-3 7-6(7), Kyrgios continued his Wimbledon run and reached the final where he succumbed to Novak Djokovic.
Both players are due to compete in this yearâs tournament, which begins on July 3.