Stefanos Tsitsipas Denies Making Racist Comments About Nick Kyrgios
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the world number five tennis player, has denied making racist comments about his rival Nick Kyrgios. The remarks were recorded during Wimbledon last year, after a controversial third-round match in which Tsitsipas claimed Kyrgios should have been disqualified for hitting the ball into the crowd. In the recording, Tsitsipas described Kyrgios as playing “uneducated” tennis and bringing “an NBA basketball attitude” to the sport. Kyrgios responded by saying that Tsitsipas had “serious issues”.
Misinterpreted Comments
Tsitsipas has now taken to Facebook to deny that his comments were racist, stating that they were “misinterpreted”. He wrote: “I deeply regret if my words were misinterpreted or caused offense, as that was never my intention. 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.”
Regret for Any Offense Caused
Tsitsipas went on to say that he regretted any hurt or offense his words may have caused and committed to being “more mindful” of his words and their impact in the future. Kyrgios appeared to accept Tsitsipas’ apology, tweeting: “We’ve had some crazy battles and I know deep down you like my brand of tennis. We are all good @steftsitsipas”.
Mallorca Open
Both Tsitsipas and Kyrgios were due to play at the Mallorca Open next week, but Kyrgios has pulled out due to a knee injury.
Conclusion
Stefanos Tsitsipas has denied making racist comments about Nick Kyrgios, claiming that his words were “misinterpreted”. He stated that his comments were not meant to undermine Kyrgios’ intelligence or abilities, but rather to express his perspective on certain aspects of his playing style. Tsitsipas expressed regret for any hurt or offense caused and committed to being more mindful of his words in the future. Kyrgios appeared to accept Tsitsipas’ apology, and both players were due to play at the Mallorca Open next week, although Kyrgios has now pulled out due to injury.