Nicos Kyrgios slams Stefanos Tsitsipas in scathing tweet as Greek star reignites war of words following Australian court attack drama
- The pair had a fiery clash at Wimbledon in 2022, both of which were fined
- Tsitsipas called Kyrgios a “clown” in his new statements
- The Australian responded with a damning post on social media
Tennis star Nick Kyrgios proved his rivalry with Stefanos Tsitsipas is alive and well by hitting out at the Australian Open finalist with a vicious tweet on Sunday.
Kyrgios and the world No.3 famously clashed at Wimbledon last year with both players fined after the Greek smashed a ball into the crowd and branded his opponent a “bad bully”.
The Australian reacted to a tweet Tsitsipas said: “He was the one who broke up our relationship. I did not do anything. In 2022 Wimbledon I was just trying to compete, while he was playing the clown.’
Kyrgios responded by tweeting: “Right…..this is the match where he hit someone in the crowd…..belted another ball out of bounds and learned a lesson in front of another full court.”
The pair could barely shake hands after their ill-tempered clash at Wimbledon last year, after which Tsitsipas accused his opponent of being a “bad bully”.
Kyrgios didn’t hold back with his tweet, reminding his followers that Tsitsipas lost his temper so badly at Wimbledon that he smashed a ball into the crowd, earning himself a hefty fine.
The match was won by the Australian, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final.
On Sunday, Tsitsipas also said: “I was just trying to play and someone on the other side of the net was looking for trouble, doing their shit. It depends on which leg he wakes up with every day.’
He also described Kyrgios – who at one point called for a supervisor and refused to play during the pair’s clash at Wimbledon – as “a devil when he steps on court”.
Fans hoping to see the pair clash at the Australian Open last month were left bitterly disappointed when Kyrgios was forced to withdraw to undergo surgery on his injured left knee.
More drama followed for the 27-year-old last Friday when he pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari in 2021.
The tennis star appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court in Canberra where an attempt to have the assault charge dismissed on mental health grounds was rejected.
But Judge Beth Campbell dismissed the charge, accepting the seriousness of the matter was “low level” and indicating Kyrgios was not a risk of re-offending.
The Australian star was in court in Canberra last Friday, accompanied by his mother (third from left) as he pleaded guilty to assaulting ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari in 2021
The world No.20 said he could not thank current partner Costeen Hatzi (pictured together) enough for supporting him in his legal battle over the assault
The Wimbledon finalist had admitted assaulting Passari by pushing her to the ground after a heated argument.
Kyrgios said he was “not in a good place” at the time and that he “reacted in a difficult situation in a way that I deeply regret”.
“I respect today’s decision and am grateful to the court for dismissing the charges without conviction,” he said in a statement. “I was not in a good place when this happened and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way that I deeply regret.
“I know it wasn’t okay and I’m truly sorry for the hurt I caused.
“Mental health is difficult. Life can seem overwhelming. But I found that getting help and working on myself allowed me to feel better and get better.”
Kyrigos concluded the statement with a message to his supporters.
“I can never thank Costeen, my family and friends enough for supporting me through this process,” he said. “I now intend to focus on recovering from injury and progressing as best I can.”