Stefanos Tsitsipas called the umpire a 'weirdo' in humiliating US Open loss, one month after Nick Kyrgios said he was a bad influence on the young player
- Stefanos Tsitsipas called the chair umpire a "weirdo" during his humiliating US Open first round loss Tuesday.
- Tsitsipas was beaten three sets to one by the unseeded Russian player Andrey Rublev.
- The abuse of the umpire and the opening round exit arrives one month after he partnered Nick Kyrgios in the doubles bracket at the Citi Open.
- Krygios even said at the time he was concerned he'd be a "bad influence" on the 21-year-old Greek.
- Kyrgios has his own first round match at the US Open on Tuesday. He will be hoping to fare better than his young friend.
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Stefanos Tsitsipas was given a point deduction for calling the umpire a "weirdo" in a humiliating US Open first round loss to the unseeded Russian player Andrey Rublev.
Tsitsipas had fitness issues, cramping, and lost three sets to one 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (7), 7-5 at the Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday, but not before he verbally abused the Flushing Meadows umpire.
"You're a weirdo! Give me a point penalty," he said, according to BBC Sport. "I don't care!"
The furious interjection came because the umpire was trying to hurry Tsitsipas after a change of ends. The umpire gave Tsitsipas a time violation and a point penalty.
Tsitsipas now becomes one of the biggest casualties to have failed to advance to the second round of the 2019 US Open.
And his abuse of the umpire arrives just one month after his previous doubles partner and budding friend Nick Kyrgios called him a "bad influence" on the next-gen Greek player.
Nick Kyrgios said he's a "bad influence"
Kyrgios and Tsitsipas played in the doubles bracket together at the Citi Open in July, losing in the opening round to the number one seeded pairing Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.
Despite the loss, Kyrgios waxed lyrical over Tsitsipas, saying on News.com.au, "if he keeps his head down, he can do some special things."
Kyrgios then said he'd look to avoid Tsitsipas unless they were playing doubles together, as he would likely only be a "bad influence" on the burgeoning 21-year-old.
Tsitsipas finished the exchange by saying, "don't say that."
Kyrgios plays Steve Johnson in his own first round US Open match Tuesday, and will be hoping to fare better than his old friend Tsitsipas.