Fallen Tennis Star Loses His Cool Against Umpire: 'Get the Tournament Director!'

The 27-year-old Tsitsipas has slipped to world number 88 and couldn't find his rhythm in Mallorca, failing to build confidence ahead of Wimbledon. Peruvian Ignacio Buse defeated him in straight sets, but it was the Greek who made headlines, loudly complaining about the quality of the balls. Tsitsipas even stopped mid-point to demonstrate to the umpire how poor the balls were.

To his utter astonishment, he still lost the point, despite the umpire agreeing with him about the poor ball quality. "What do you mean the point stands?!" Tsitsipas fumed, red-faced, at the man in the high chair. "These balls are unplayable. It's impossible to play with them. At least let's replay this point. This feels like a soft ball, it's hopeless to play with," he raged.

The former world number three didn't stop there. He even refused to continue playing. "Zero percent chance, just look at this. Get the tournament director. I'll show him the balls. This is ridiculous, and now you're just giving him (his opponent Buse, ed.) the point? If I hadn't stopped, we'd still be in this rally with these bad balls."

Tsitsipas was once touted for a bright future, reaching Grand Slam finals in 2021 and 2023. However, he never truly delivered on that promise. Injuries and dips in form cost him good results and, consequently, a strong ranking. To make matters worse, his relationship with fellow top tennis player Paula Badosa also ended, with her recently lashing out at him.