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Co-favorite Stefanos Tsitsipas surprisingly fails in the third round of the US Open due to an 18-year-old super talent. After the bitter end, the Greek countered the harsh criticism of his toilet breaks.
Carlos Alcaraz has been compared to the young Rafael Nadal for some time. In his third-round game against Stefanos Tsitsipas, the young Spaniard underscores his great ambitions for the first time at the Grand Slam level. In a thrilling game he defeated the world number 3 in five sets in an impressive manner with 6: 3, 4: 6, 7: 6, 0: 6 and 7: 6.
While Alcaraz is celebrating the biggest victory of his career so far, Tsitsipas will also play against the New York audience that evening. Because he leaves the court against Alcaraz after losing the third set, the Greek gets boos again – even if the break lasts much less this time than in the previous rounds against Mannarino or Murray. But the 23-year-old seems to have gambled away any sympathy with the fans.
Tsitsipas has also largely annoyed the competition with his behavior, in addition to Murray, Alexander Zverev also chooses clear words in the first place. The German even raises the suspicion that Tsitsipas is illegally coached from his box via mobile phone contact during the toilet breaks he has taken.
After the sealed end, the current world number 3 takes a position on the harsh criticism. “All of these allegations were completely false. The one after the match in Cincinnati was the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life, “says Tsitsipas, referring in all likelihood to Zverev’s hefty allegations. «I don’t know what to say. I mean, that really shows the level of the person who said that. “
Tsitsipas: “Maybe it took me a little longer”
Tsitsipas still sees no wrongdoing on his part, which is why the whistles from the audience mainly irritate him. “I know that all of these things were against me for no reason. As a normal athlete, I took a toilet break. Maybe it took me a little longer than other athletes, ”he defends himself. If there were a rule regarding the length of the toilet break, he would try to adhere to it, asserts Tsitsipas.
He is also bothered by the fact that, in his opinion, not all players are treated equally. “You have these players that everyone knows, who take so much time, but nobody says anything,” says Tsitsipas and notes: “I don’t know why everyone is suddenly against me. Especially when other players don’t follow the rules. “
