Stefanos Tsitsipas clarifies Nick Kyrgios comments after accusations of racism

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Stefanos Tsitsipas has defended himself from accusations of racism over comments he made about Nick Kyrgios at last year's Wimbledon. </p>

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Tsitsipas and Kyrgios were involved in a fiery third-round clash at SW19 last year, which led to some pretty heated words after the match. </p>

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Highlights from the ill-tempered contest included Kyrgios receiving a warning for obscenity and hitting an underarm serve, and Tsitsipas receiving a code violation for narrowly missing a spectator after smashing the ball into the crowd out of frustration. </p>

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Afterwards, Tsitsipas said the Australian's approach to tennis was "uneducated" and that he had an "NBA basketball attitude" to the game. </p>

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The comments recently surfaced in the new series of Netflix's 'Break Point', which quickly led to accusations of racism on social media. </p>

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"He has brought that NBA basketball attitude to tennis. I would describe it as an uneducated approach of playing tennis. But you know tennis is a gentleman's sport, it's all about respect. We are not playing basketball," Tsitsipas said. </p>

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"There was zero respect coming out of my opponent that day. He kept pressing my buttons none stop - and of course I got annoyed. He just loves attention. And if he gets none of that, it is complete destruction." </p>

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In a lengthy statement issued on Friday, Tsitsipas said his words were "misinterpreted". </p>

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"It has come to my attention that some individuals have misinterpreted my comments regarding Nick Kyrgios...insinuating racism where none exists,"&nbsp;the 24-year-old wrote on Facebook. </p>

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"I want to emphasize 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." </p>

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He added: "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. </p>

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"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." </p>

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Tsitsipas added that "deeply regrets" any hurt he may have caused and would be "more mindful" of his words and their impact in the future. </p>

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Kyrgios has since responded to Tsitsipas' statement, admitting the match got very "heated" and telling the Greek star they were "all good." </p>

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"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 Stefanos." </p>

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Kyrgios had knee surgery in January but hopes to be fit in time to play Wimbledon, which starts on 3 July. </p>

<p>The article <a href="https://www.planetsport.com/tennis/news/stefanos-tsitsipas-clarifies-nick-kyrgios-comments-after-accusations-racism">Stefanos Tsitsipas clarifies Nick Kyrgios comments after accusations of racism </a> appeared first on Planetsport.com.</p>