‘I Was Not Aiming for the Ball Kid!’ – Stefanos Tsitsipas Defends Himself After Comparison With Novak Djokovic Incident at US Open

Jiri Lehecka was on the court testing the limits of the Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals yesterday. For lack of having a home Grand Slam, the Australian Open is like home to the Greek star, making him pursue his match more passionately. So, when he lost a point, a frustrated reaction came deep down from his heart that could have disqualified him. A similar situation popped up at the 2020 US Open, which unfortunately ended with the default of Novak Djokovic.

Throwing racquets, hitting balls at the wall, and shouting are a few forms of outbursts fans have seen on the court. And Tsitsipas was almost on the verge of going home.

Tsitsipas on how things could have done south if things went a different way

The world no. 4 stepped onto the court with tough competition against the court. Jiri Lehecka was on Tsitsipas’ back and did not give him enough liberty to take an easy victory. And that irked him and resulted in an aggressive reaction that could have disqualified him. He nearly hit a ball boy while aiming for the wall, reminding people of a similar incident that happened in 2020 with Novak Djokovic.

In the post-match conference at the Australian Open, he said, “I saw the ball kid when the ball came back. I’m a professional tennis player. I was not aiming for the ball kid, obviously.” In his defense, he stated, “The ball kid, in my eyes, was pretty far away from me.”

However, he did not try to cover his aggressive reaction and reflected on that as well. Tsitsipas stated, “Of course, it’s not nice even to hit it back towards the wall. I personally don’t think I hit it too hard. But doesn’t matter. What I did, definitely I’m not happy about that.”

Nonetheless, he explained what derived that reaction from him. He stated, “But it was part of the moment. My ball fell short. There was a little bit of frustration there, but things happen. I just continued and continued playing from that point onwards.” 

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The second set tie-break was a major point that both players could not afford to lose. For Lehecka, it was a way to get back into the match and for Tsitsipas, it was a chance to gain a massive lead. The Greek player was happy with his performance and the way he clinched a seat in the semi-finals.

Stefanos Tsitsipas sends a special request to Margot Robbie

The Australian Open is like a home Grand Slam for Tsitsipas. Along with that, the Greek star is also a fan of a very famous Australian who has made a name for herself in Hollywood. It is none other than the Hollywood heartthrob, Margot Robbie, who hails from Australia.

After clinching an easy yet tricky victory over Lehecka, the player talked about all the things he liked about Australia. While mentioning his favorite actress, Robbie, he wished her to be in the guest box someday, watching him play.

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Now, the world no. 4 will face Karen Khachanov in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Do you think Tsitsipas can continue his streak and win the title?