Stefanos Tsitsipas appeared to call opponent Matteo Berrettini a ‘peasant’ as he unleashed his latest temper tantrum at the Gstaad Open in Switzerland. Tsitsipas was beaten 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 in the semi-final clash between the pair, after producing an erratic display that was signified by a number of unforced errors.
And his frustration boiled over in the second set, when Berettini produced a composed shot at the net following a misjudgement by the world No.12. Tsitsipas then proceeded to launch into an extraordinary rant.
Greek media outlet Proto Thema translated the outburst and they alleged that Tsitsipas said: “We don’t know. You don’t play with quality, but you’re the same as always”. He then appeared to use the phrase “the peasant, let’s say.”
Proto Therma did emphasise it wasn’t entirely clear whether the comments were aimed at Berrettini, or indeed himself. But in his post-match press conference, the 25-year-old opted to focus on his own poor performance, while also praising the world No.82 for his display.
“I wasn’t as consistent as he was,” he admitted. “I felt like he had longer serves than me, he was winning more easy points than I was on serve. I had to work harder to earn points.
Throughout his career, the fiery Tsitsipas has never been far from controversy whether it be on or off the court. And only last month, he received intense criticism after uploading a social media video which used the caption “men and women are not the same.”
However, he duly doubled down on his actions, stating: “My intentions were completely different from what people saw. I didn’t see it as sexist or misogynistic, as it was treated by many people.”
And back at the 2021 US Open, he was accused of ‘cheating’ by Alexander Zverev, allegedly using extended bathroom breaks to receive coaching from his father Apostolos Tsitsipas. He was duly fined £7,700 for two separate violations.
The two-time Grand Slam finalist will now head to France for this month’s 2024 Paris Olympics. And he vowed to treat the build-up to Roland Garros as if he was preparing for a major championship.
“I will prepare for a week in Monaco,” he vowed. “My plan is to train hard for five days before Paris and I will approach the Olympics like a Grand Slam.”
Tsitsipas has pedirgree in Paris, having reached the French Open final in 2021. There, he proceeded to blow a two set lead in his defeat to Novak Djokovic.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk