Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother, Julia Apostoli, felt that Nick Kyrgios tried to lure the Greek into playing «dirty tennis» but her son did not know how to play that game. In the third round at Wimbledon, Tsitsipas faced Kyrgios.
After winning the first set, Tsitsipas lost the next three sets as Kyrgios ran away 6-7(2) 6-4 6-3 7-6(7). The match was full of tension as Tsitsipas complained several times about Kyrgios’ behaviour. Kyrgios clearly got into Tsitsipas’s head and many felt that was the key to his victory.
After the match, Tsitsipas described Kyrgios as «an evil thug». «The only person who confuses Stefanos is Nick Kyrgios,» Apostoli was quoted as saying by the Greek City Times. “He is the only one who takes it out of himself. In the Wimbledon match, Kyrgios decided to ignore the general rules of the sport.
The match got very weird and nervous because I was playing ‘dirty’ tennis. Stefanos doesn’t play like that. He completely lost his temper over his opponent’s behavior and lost the match no worse off on the court.”
Tsitsipas’s mother on the Tsitsipas-Kyrgios relationship
Tsitsipas has also had his moments with Daniil Medvedev on the pitch. But Tsitsipas’s mother feels there is no ill will between her son and Medvedev. When it comes to Kyrgios, Tsitsipas’ mother suggests that the Australian knows how to get inside his son’s head.
«I don’t think there is anything special. Daniil is such a person by nature: if he doesn’t like something, he won’t keep it to himself for long. He expresses his opinion on many things. Styopa is more introverted, although it is difficult to distinguish it from him.
He had to become an extrovert by virtue of his profession. He doesn’t have such negative feelings towards anyone. The only person, perhaps, who gets him into a state of complete confusion is Nick Kyrgios,» Apostoli added. After Tsitsipas described Kyrgios as an evil thug, the Australian responded by calling the Greek “soft”.
