Stefanos Tsitsipas recalls hot-blooded Wimbledon encounter with Nick Kyrgios

Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas was involved in a heated match with Aussie bad boy Nick Kyrgios at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, and the former French Open runner-up took some time to look back at the encounter that many feared would resort to blows.

The duo clashed in a highly contentious third round match on Court No.1 at SW19 in 2022, with both men known for their volatility on the court. Kyrgios made every effort to stir the Greek star, which produced the desired effect as Tsitsipas would later admit he was boiling with rage during their encounter.

Tsitsipas admits to not playing like himself

The former World No.3 was unable to handle Kyrgios' gamesmanship antics, as his frustration slowly boiled over. Tsitsipas got so frustrated by his opponent's showboating and egging on of the crowd that the Greek star fired a ball directly into the crowd. Fortunately, he was not defaulted as no spectator was hit by the errant ball.

In a recent interview at an Adidas event in London, Tsitsipas revealed the extent of his rage during that fateful encounter.

"That was a tough match and one that triggered me more than I would have ever expected,” admitted Tsitsipas. “It turned me into a madman that day. I’ve never seen myself this way on the court.
“I was playing completely congested with a blocked nose that day, and it was getting to my nerves. I was already feeling a little feverish that day and what was happening on the other side of the court triggered it even more and made me explode. It triggered me even more. I remember I just completely lost my… I lost my s---.

“I’ve never seen myself be so much out of control, but it taught me a valuable lesson that I should never allow someone to control me that much because I felt like he was in control of my emotions that day. I completely abandoned myself and what I stand for. I learned a lot. I realized a lot of things that day… and that is definitely not how to behave on a tennis court."

Kyrgios would eventually prevail, winning in four sets to advance to the round of 16. Subsequently, the Australian would go on to reach his maiden Grand Slam final, where he'd lose to Serbian Novak Djokovic in four thrilling sets.