An interesting saga has been unfolding on social media after Netflix documentary Break Point aired an episode which showed Stefanos Tsitsipas calling Nick Kyrgios “uneducated.”
“He has brought that NBA basketball attitude to tennis. I would describe it as an uneducated approach of playing tennis,” the Greek tennis player can be heard saying in the episode.
Tsitsipas made the comments after his rivalry with Kyrgios came to a head at Wimbledon last year. Kyrgios defeated Tsitsipas in the third round of the tournament.
After the Netflix episode aired, Tsitsipas used Facebook to explain himself with a 600-word long statement. He said his comments were an “unfortunate misunderstanding” and his remarks did not aim to undermine Kyrgios’ 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,” Tsitsipas said in his statement.
“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 finished his statement by committing to be “more mindful” of his words and the impact they may have.
In response, Kyrgios has responded overnight via Twitter, posting: “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.”
Source: The Advertiser
