?You All Think You Can Play?- Nick Kyrgios Speaks Out on Stefanos Tsitsipas? Erratic Behavior During Their Wimbledon Match

Nick Kyrgios might not be amongst the top players on the tour, but he is rightly one of the most popular ones. After having decent performances in the build-up tournaments, the Australian is currently showing off his skills at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. Maintaining his form, the 27-year-old yesterday battled past the 4th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in a drama-filled third round by a scoreline of 6-7 6-4 6-3 7-6.

The 3-hour and 17-minute long four-set thriller had the two stars playing at their best. However, despite the electrifying match, what made the headlines was the controversial incidents that happened in the match. Following the match, Kyrgios came out in support of Tsitsipas, justifying his erratic behavior during the match.

Nick Kyrgios understands Tsitsipas’ behavior

Going back in time, prior to Wimbledon, Kyrgios and Tsitispas had faced each other a total of four times. With roots of the rivalry dating back to 2019, Kyrgios led the head-to-head race 3-1. Facing each other for the first time on the grass courts of Wimbledon, Kyrgios admitted that he knew the match would be a tough one.

Read More- ?Not Spicy at All? ? Rafael Nadal Clears His Stance Over the Banter With Lorenzo Sonego at 2022 Wimbledon Championships

“It was a hell of an atmosphere. I felt like the favorite coming in but I knew it was going to be a tough match, he’s a hell of a player,” Kyrgios admitted.

As mentioned earlier, the match had a series of controversial incidents unfolding one after the other. While Kyrgios requested a point penalty for the actions of Tsitsipas, the Greek replied back with smashing shots at the Aussie. While Kyrgios seemed uncomfortable with the erratic behavior, he made sure to give his thoughts about the incident after the match.

During his press conference, Kyrgios said, “He was getting frustrated at times and it’s a frustrating sport. I know that you all think you can play but it’s very frustrating so I got ultimate respect for him. Whatever happens on the court, I love him and I’m close with his brother.”

The unfolding of events between Kyrgios and Tsitsipas

The match started with both players playing some high-quality tennis. While Kyrgios time and again questioned the calls of the line umpires, he did not have his focus shift from his game. With Tsitsipas winning the opening set in a tiebreaker, the two headed towards the second set.

Watch this story- Serena Williams? Mother Oracene Takes a Nap on Center Court While Daughter Makes Her Debut at Wimbledon Championships 2022

Lifting his game, the Australian won the second set comfortably. While Kyrgios celebrated the set, Tsitsipas, on the other hand, erupted in anger. Not being able to control his anger, the Greek hit a ball towards the stand, nearly hitting a spectator. The act invited a code violation for Tsitsipas. However, a surprised Kyrgios countered the umpire, asking for severe punishments than just a warning.

While many considered the point put up by Nick Kyrgios as a valid one, that didn’t seem to be the case with the Greek. Going ahead in the match, a frustrated Tsitsipas smashed the ball thrice towards Kyrgios. Once at the baseline, and twice at the net.