Tennis star Nick Kyrgios has reignited his feud with rival Stefanos Tsitsipas after aiming a veiled dig at the Greek on social media.
In a post on Instagram, the 27-year-old clapped back at his opponent by sharing a clip of their clash at Wimbledon, accompanied by the caption: “dirty tennis”.
Kyrgios and Tsitsipas have got history, with the rivalry between the pair often boiling over when they cross paths on the court.
Earlier this year, tempers flared when the two competitors faced off in the third round at Wimbledon, with both losing their cool.
Kyrgios emerged victorious on that occasion but was unhappy with Tsitsipas for angrily hitting the ball into the crowd in frustration.
The Australian, therefore, called on the umpire to disqualify Tsitsipas, although his request was not granted.
The blowback from that encounter continued in the aftermath of the clash, with Tsitsipas labelling Kyrgios as a “bully” and “evil”.
The 24-year-old’s mother, Julia Apostoli, also joined in the feud after referring to Kyrgios’ tactics as “dirty tennis.”
“Our match turned out to be very nervous with Nick Kyrgios,” Julia said. “That is, we were practically offered to play dirty tennis there, but we don’t know how to play such tennis. Therefore, [Stefanos] lost his temper and left the court without getting there.”
Not one to shy away from a fight, Kyrgios responded: “I just don’t understand what I did. Like I did nothing towards him. I didn’t think I was aggressive towards him. I wasn’t hitting balls at his face. I don’t know. I didn’t feel like there was any anger.
“I had no anger towards Stef today on the match. I don’t know where it’s coming from, to be honest. If he’s affected by that today, then that’s what’s holding him back. I just think it’s soft.”
The row between the pair reared its head again recently when Tsitsipas’ mother spoke to Greek media and accused Kyrgios of bringing out the worst in her son.
Reacting to this, the Australian shared a clip of their clash at Wimbledon, where he won a point against Tsitsipas, turned to the crowd and bowed, captioning it “dirty tennis.”
