Stefanos Tsitsipas is often on the receiving end of criticism for one reason or another. In this instance, the world number 12 is being criticized for a comment he made during the ongoing Swiss Open’s media session.
The interviewer asked Tsitsipas to name his “biggest rival” on the ATP Tour. Many tennis enthusiasts expected the obvious answer to be Daniil Medvedev or Alexander Zverev. However, Tsitsipas shockingly picked Carlos Alcaraz.
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Picking the 21-year-old Spaniard wasn’t the wisest decision for Tsitsipas. Fans began berating the Monaco resident for comparing himself with the four-time Grand Slam winner.
He is not in your league mate.
— United Geezer (@UTDgeezer) July 19, 2024
Alcaraz is miles ahead of you Steph
— Trey (@Trreyszn) July 19, 2024
Warra rivalry! pic.twitter.com/29PX953aC9
— Gio (@gio_17x) July 19, 2024
Enthusiasts also took the liberty of answering the question on behalf of the 25-year-old. Some users mentioned that Tsitsipas was his own rival, while other fans named his father.
Stefanos’s biggest rivalry is Stefanos
— The Time Being ⚔️ (@SteveMichaels11) July 19, 2024
His biggest rival is his dad.
— Ammarovic (@_ammarovic_) July 19, 2024
It’s ambitious of Tsitsipas to think that he belongs in the same tier as Alcaraz. The latter is not only four years younger than him but has also been far more successful on the tour. Finally, out of all the times that they’ve gone up against each other, Tsitsipas has an awful 0-6 head-to-head record.
While Medvedev or Zverev would’ve been a much more accepted answer, it is understandable why certain fans jokingly answered that the former world number three’s biggest rival is his father – Apostolos Tsitsipas.
Why are fans claiming that Stefanos Tsitsipas’ biggest rival is his father?
Tsitsipas has proven to be a volatile player, having multiple outbursts on the court. Usually, he gets into verbal altercations with opponents or the umpires. However, things became a lot uglier during the French Open 2024.
While playing his second-round match against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier, a frustrated Tsitsipas would yell “shut up” to his father. Additionally, there have been numerous instances when the father-son duo have had disagreements. Things also once almost got physical when Tsitsipas was seen hitting balls and smashing his racket near his father.
