Tempers Flare at Shanghai Masters as Stefanos Tsitsipas Refuses to Play Following Rant at Umpire
Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas refused to play during a match against rival Daniil Medvedev at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday, failing to compose himself after a minutes-long rant directed at chair umpire Fergus Murphy.
The outburst occurred during the second set, when Tsitsipas lost his first serve after being issued a time violation. The Greek player appeared to take the decision as a personal attack, lashing out at Murphy and claiming that he was the most consistent player on the tour.
“Why are you doing this to me, man? I’m the most consistent player on the tour,” Tsitsipas said, his frustration boiling over. “I don’t understand what I did to you, and the last few months have been terrible. You have no control over that.”
Murphy stood firm, refusing to back down and instead defended his decision, explaining that the clock starts automatically and that Tsitsipas needed to keep an eye on it. However, Tsitsipas persisted, accusing Murphy of being against him and taking a personal shot at the umpire’s lack of playing experience, calling him “probably” a serve-and-volley player with no career.
“I have no control over that. You seem like you have no idea what you’re doing,” Tsitsipas said, further antagonizing Murphy. “Tennis is a physical sport, and we need some time over there. You have to show some compassion because you aren’t showing any.”
Tsitsipas eventually spoke to a supervisor, but lost the match 7-6 (3), 6-3. The incident follows a heated moment between American tennis star Frances Tiafoe and a chair umpire on Tuesday, which prompted Tiafoe to issue an apology for his behavior.