Greek tennis player Stephanos Tsitsipas has received Wimbledon’s biggest total fine ever for unsportsmanlike conduct after his third-round clash with Nick Kyrios.
The player received two warnings for hitting the ball recklessly, once into the crowd and once very hard into the scoreboard on a Kyrgios underarm serve.
He was ordered to pay $10,000 (£8,260).
It coincides with the fine given to Australian Kyrgios for his antics during his first-round win over Britain’s Paul Jubb, where he admitted to spitting in the direction of a spectator who was taunting him.
Kyrgios, who was himself fined a further $4,000 (£3,300) for swearing during Saturday’s match, continually appealed to referee Damien Dumusois and other tournament officials to have Tsitsipas sent off for his first offence.
Tsitsipas angrily threw the ball towards the courtside spectators, but Dumusois decided the foul only merited a warning.
Players can be fined up to $20,000 for an unsportsmanlike conduct violation, while gross misconduct can be considered major violations and lead to additional penalties.
There is a specific offense of ball abuse, defined as “deliberately knocking a ball outside the bounds of the course, striking a ball dangerously or recklessly within the course, or striking a ball with reckless disregard for the consequences.”
Tsitsipas apologized for his behavior and admitted afterwards that he had lost his cool at Kyrgios’s continued complaints about Dumusois.
The Greek, who also called Kyrgios a bully, said: “I have to say it was really bad of me. I’ve never done that before, throwing the ball out of the court like that.
Image: Tsitsipas said he felt influenced by Kyrgios’ behaviour
“I apologized to people. I don’t know what went through my head at the time. I think he’s a part (of it) too, with the whole circus show that’s going on on the other side of the net.
“It started to get very tiring in a way. I didn’t hit people. Hit the wall, thank God. I will certainly never do it again. It’s my responsibility, for sure. But there was also something that created this behavior that I’m not used to seeing from myself.”
Image: Kyrgios said he ‘didn’t do anything’
Kyrgios did not accept that he had anything to apologize for, saying: “I’m not sure how I bullied him. He was the one who hit me, he was the one who hit a spectator, he was the one who hit him in the stadium.
“I have not done anything. Other than just going back and forth with the referee for a bit, I didn’t do anything disrespectful to Stefanos today.”
The Australian will later face American Brandon Nakashima for a place in the quarter-finals.
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