Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he 'pretty much expected' Nick Kyrgios's recent drug suspension, claiming he was aware of the positive cocaine test even before the official announcement.
Key Points
- Stefanos Tsitsipas stated he was not surprised by Nick Kyrgios's drug suspension, finding it 'pretty much expected'.
- Tsitsipas claimed he knew about Kyrgios's positive cocaine test before the official announcement was made public.
- Kyrgios was banned earlier this month after revealing he tested positive for cocaine in June while in Spain.
- Tsitsipas referenced past 'behaviors' he had heard about Kyrgios away from the tennis courts.
Stefanos Tsitsipas says he was not surprised when Nick Kyrgios was suspended from tennis for drugs. "Pretty much expected, to be honest. I am surprised it came so late, though," Tsitsipas said at a press conference after he upset 10th seed Arthur Fils in the first round of the US Open on Monday.
Tsitsipas's Prior Knowledge
Kyrgios was banned earlier this month after he revealed he tested positive for cocaine in June when he was in Spain to play at an event. When asked about Kyrgios, Tsitsipas added: "I mean, to be entirely honest with you, I knew about this before the announcement. Myself, I knew about it."
"So what can I tell you? I will just tell you the truth. I knew about all of this before any announcement was made, and when I saw it on social media, I was, like, 'Here we go.' I kind of expected it, to be honest."
Past Encounters and Behaviour
Tsitsipas and Kyrgios played a fiery match at Wimbledon in 2022, when Kyrgios reached his only Grand Slam final. Tsitsipas blasted a couple shots directly at Kyrgios, intentionally hit a ball into the crowd, and afterward called Kyrgios a "bully."
"I knew that those were things that were happening away from the tennis courts. I will tell you that," he said. "I'm not going to try and cover up someone that I know the truth for. I'll consider myself a nice person with everyone, but these were behaviors that I personally heard on the tour and heard other people in that same environment saying those sort of things to me."
