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On Sunday, April 16, Stefanos Tsitsipas joined the world in congratulating Andrey Rublev on his triumph at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters. However, tennis fans were amused that the 24-year-old Greek called the 25-year-old Russian a "kid."
In a closely fought title clash, Rublev edged Denmark's Holger Rune 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 in two hours and 34 minutes to lift his maiden Masters 1000 trophy. On his way to glory, he also downed the likes of compatriot Karen Khachanov and 10th-ranked Taylor Fritz.
Tsitsipas took to social media to convey his wishes to Rublev, saying:
"He deserves it. He is a good kid."
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When Rublev beat Tsitsipas in the group stage of the 2022 ATP Finals, the Greek player remarked that he felt like the better player on the court and that Rublev won the match with the help of his "few tools." Rublev responded by saying that Tsitsipas was a better player than him because of his higher rank but added that the majority of their matches were "tough battles."
After Stefanos Tsitsipas' congratulatory message, fans reminded him of his earlier comments about Rublev and criticized him for using the term "kid" for an older player.
"He's older than you, what do you mean "kid"? Talk about condescending," a fan tweeted.
"Huh? Rublev is older so calling him a kid is bizarre. Sounds all a bit disingenuous considering he previously claimed the “kid “has “few weapons” after being beat by him," a user wrote.
"Can’t you just properly say congrats to him like you wanted to? C’mon Stef," another tweet read.
Here are a few more reactions:
Stefanos Tsitsipas laments early exit at Monte-Carlo Masters 2023
Stefanos Tsitsipas won the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2021 and 2022, and was hoping to complete a hat-trick of titles this year. However, America's Taylor Fritz defeated him 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
In a post-match press conference, the fifth-ranked Greek stated that he was a better player than the results in the tournament showed, and that he hoped to learn from the loss.
"I just seemed off," Tsitsipas said. "My serve was not working very well today, and against opponents like Taylor, you have to serve well. I was aware of that during the match. I just couldn't find the rhythm. I am much better than this and I'm disappointed I was not able to show my game today. It's a good lesson. It's not a happy day for me, but it's a good lesson."
Stefanos Tsitsipas will next compete at the 2023 Barcelona Open. He will face either Pedro Cachín or Gijs Brouwer in the second round on Tuesday, April 18.
