Salty star says sorry for 'very unfair' sledge

1 year ago 80

World No.4 Stefanos Tsitsipas has moved to easiness the hostility betwixt helium and Andrey Rublev by apologising for "very unfair" comments towards the Russian star.

Tsitsipas and Rublev are some successful Saudi Arabia for the Diriyah Tennis Cup, starting connected Thursday, which features a who's who of men's tennis.

Rublev knocked Tsitsipas retired of the ATP Finals successful November and the Greek leader past lashed retired with a salty property conference.

Watch Nick Kyrgios, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev astatine the Diriyah Tennis Cup from December 8-11. Streaming ad-free, unrecorded and exclusive connected Stan Sport

Tsitsipas said helium felt similar helium was the "better player" contempt the nonaccomplishment and added that Rublev "prevailed with the fewer tools that helium has".

"What I said successful that property league against Rublev was precise unfair towards him and not correct," Tsitsipas said.

"I bash regret saying that, yes. It was not precise bully for me, I was highly wounded that I wasn't capable to spell each the mode astatine the ATP Finals, it wounded maine a lot.

EXCLUSIVE: Warner 'disaster' could punctual 'selfish' call

"I tried to fto immoderate atrocious vigor retired but that wasn't the liable oregon the bully way, adjacent if I wanted thing retired of it, it wasn't the close mode to bash it.

"Definitely, if I would spot him I would similar to apologise to him for reasoning similar this astir him due to the fact that it's decidedly not however I deliberation astir him successful reality...

"Andrey is an fantabulous player."

Tsitsipas and Rublev are portion of a 12-player tract that besides includes Australia's Nick Kyrgios, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, Matteo Berrettini, Hubert Hurkacz, Taylor Fritz, Andrey Rublev, Cameron Norrie and Dominic Stricker.

Lleyton Hewitt and Alex de Minaur precocious aired their vexation astatine Kyrgios, claiming the Wimbledon finalist made himself unavailable for the Davis Cup last to pursuit a six fig payday successful Saudi Arabia.

The tourney victor will pouch $1.5 cardinal with the runner-up claiming $750,000 and the semi-finalists $375,000.

An unapologetic Kyrgios told reporters helium was aiming to boost the sport's popularity.

"Personally, I emotion going to places wherever they whitethorn not cognize truthful overmuch astir tennis and going determination to effort and gully immoderate attraction and get them to bask it, I deliberation that's important," Kyrgios said.

"When I discontinue from tennis I privation to cognize that I near a people and made a batch of caller fans of the sport. I deliberation it's a bonus for maine to beryllium capable to play these matches and consciousness that lucifer unit inactive passim my grooming artifact is going to beryllium important for maine and usage that to get a spot of a caput commencement connected everyone other that's not capable to play these matches."