‘Insinuating racism where none exists’ – Stefanos Tsitsipas addresses ‘misinterpreted’ Nick Kyrgios comments

Stefanos Tsitsipas apologised for comments made about Nick Kyrgios following last year’s ill-tempered Wimbledon third-round clash.

The comments came to light after the second half of the Netflix series ‘Break Point’ was released, and many took offence to the Greek’s words.

Tsitsipas would suffer a surprise defeat to the Australian, who progressed to his first-ever Grand Slam final against eventual winner, Novak Djokovic.

In one of the most heated Wimbledon matches in recent memory, Kyrgios was left raging after Tsitsipas was not defaulted after hitting a ball into the crowd.

Kyrgios then received a warning for swearing, while Tsitsipas suffered a point deduction for a second code violation after hitting the ball away in response to the Australian’s underarm serve.

When recollecting the match on Break Point, Tsitsipas claimed Kyrgios took an “uneducated” approach to tennis and claims he brought an “NBA basketball attitude” to the sport.

Addressing the claims on Facebook, the current world No. 5 said: “It has come to my attention that some individuals have misinterpreted my comments regarding Nick Kyrgios…insinuating racism where none exists.

“I want to emphasise that I harbour no prejudice towards anyone based on their background, ethnicity, or interests. I deeply regret if my words were misinterpreted or caused offence, as that was never my intention.

“My previous remarks regarding Nick Kyrgios were not meant to undermine his intelligence or abilities. Instead, I simply intended to express my perspective on certain aspects of his playing style, drawing comparisons to the passion and intensity often associated with basketball.

“It was an attempt to highlight the dynamic and captivating nature of his approach to the game, not a criticism of his character or capabilities.”

However, there appears to be no lingering hard feelings from Kyrgios, who responded to Tsitsipas’ statement by saying: “It was a very heated battle. Sometimes as players we go into these press conferences without digesting the match. We’ve had some crazy battles and I know deep down you like my brand of tennis. We are all good.”

After undergoing knee surgery, Kyrgios is targeting a return to the start of Wimbledon on July 3.