Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas has reignited his long-running war of words with Nick Kyrgios, saying he was not surprised by the Australian’s suspension from tennis following a positive cocaine test.
“Pretty much expected, to be honest,” Tsitsipas said after advancing to the second round of the US Open in New York with an upset victory over 10th seed Arthur Fils.
“I am surprised it came so late, though.”
Kyrgios received the suspension earlier this month after revealing that he tested positive for cocaine in June while in Spain for a tennis event.
The former Wimbledon finalist could face a suspension of up to four years, although a lighter penalty remains possible.
Tsitsipas said he already knew about the case before officials announced it publicly.
“I mean, to be entirely honest with you, I knew about this before the announcement. Myself, I knew about it,” the Greek tennis star said.
“So what can I tell you? I will just tell you the truth. I knew about all of this before any announcement was made and when I saw it on social media, I was like, ‘Here we go.’ I kind of expected it, to be honest.”
Tsitsipas and Kyrgios have history
The latest comments reopen a bitter rivalry between the two players, who clashed publicly after their tempestuous third-round meeting at Wimbledon four years ago.
Tsitsipas received a US$10,000 fine after hitting a ball into the crowd and narrowly missing a spectator. He also admitted that he deliberately targeted Kyrgios with some shots in response to the Australian’s controversial behaviour during the match.
“It’s constant bullying. That’s what he does,” Tsitsipas said at the time.
“He bullies the opponents. He was probably a bully at school himself. I don’t like bullies. I don’t like people that put other people down.”
Tsitsipas also acknowledged that Kyrgios had positive qualities but accused him of having a darker side.
“He has some good traits in his character, as well. But he also has a very evil side to him, which if it’s exposed, it can really do a lot of harm and bad to the people around him,” Tsitsipas said.
Kyrgios dismissed those comments at the time, calling Tsitsipas “soft”.
The Australian has since struggled with persistent injuries and underwent multiple wrist and knee surgeries following the best season of his career in 2022.
Kyrgios has indicated that he has likely played his last competitive singles match, leaving his future in professional tennis uncertain even before his latest suspension.
