"Where were you when Nike's CEO was rubbishing Novak Djokovic?" - Fans criticize Andy Murray for defending Stefanos Tsitsipas after Lacoste CEO's dig

Andy Murray took to social media to defend Stefanos Tsitsipas following the latter's premature retirement from the 2023 ATP Finals. However, Murray's comments weren't received well by a section of tennis fans.

Tsitsipas was forced to bow out of his second round-robin match against Holger Rune on Tuesday, November 14, due to a back injury. He departed 15 minutes into the match after playing only three games, with the Dane leading 2-1.

The Greek’s withdrawal left top seed Novak Djokovic’s semi-final spot in the balance. On Thursday, November 16, the Serb labored past Tsitsipas’ substitute Hubert Hurkacz in three sets (7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-1), increasing his prospects of reaching the Turin semi-finals.

A few hours later Jannik Sinner beat Holger Rune in three sets, which ensured that Djokovic advanced to the semis. A loss for Sinner would've led to the elimination of the Serb.

Following Sinner's win, Lacoste CEO Guibert Thierry took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate the Italian for his strong performance. However, Theirry also accused Stefanos Tsitsipas of 'unfair behavior' in the same tweet, referring to the Greek's mid-match withdrawal.

For the uninitiated, Novak Djokovic is the brand ambassador of Lacoste. He dons the brand’s clothing when competing in any tennis tournament.

Thierry’s bizarre comment did not sit well with former World No. 1 Andy Murray, who turned to X to defend Stefanos Tsitsipas. Murray stated that being injured is a part of the sport and that withdrawing from an event due to that should not be considered 'unfair behavior.'

"Bizarre post from a CEO of a sports brand. Getting injured is part of sport and isnt 'unfair behaviour'," Murray wrote.

Murray received a lot of flak from fans on X for defending Stefanos Tsitsipas. One fan commented:

“Where were you when Nike's CEO was rubbishing Novak? Did you give up on pretending you're a feminist, btw? If not, why are you silent when watching men who call themselves women destroy women's sports? Did you enjoy watching Fallon Fox crush Tamika Brent's skull?"

For context, former Nike director Mike Nakajima suggested earlier this year that the controversies Djokovic has been involved in, such as disqualifications and his behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, affect his marketability. In response, Thierry emphatically stated that Lacoste is more than happy to have the Serb.

Another fan thought the Brit's remark was unbecoming of such a decorated player:

"Bizarre rant from a knighted player. Going to the toilet is part of sport and isn't "unfair behaviour,” they tweeted.

The tweet refers to an incident that transpired during the 2021 US Open meeting between Murray and Tsitsipas, during which the former was outraged at his opponent taking long toilet breaks.

Yet another fan tried to justify the reason behind the Lacoste CEO’s post:

“Stef knew he wasn’t fit to play. I think that’s the reason for the post!”, they commented.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

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"I am really gutted that I wasn’t able to finish the match" - Stefanos Tsitsipas

Tsitsipas apologises to his fans

Stefanos Tsitsipas apologized to the fans during his post-match press conference on Tuesday at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals.

“My apologies to all the fans and the crowd that came to support me today and watch the match. I'm really gutted that I wasn't able to finish the match. It's a shame also not to give that spot to someone else to at least try and do something with it,” Tsitsipas said.

The 25-year-old further said that despite his doctors’ approval, he was unable to perform on the court.

“My doctors and the countless visits that I had in the past few days suggested that I play, gave me the green light to go and try it for myself. Unfortunately, I felt terrible on the court. I did what I could do in the best possible way to be ready and fit for this match, but it didn't work out for me,” he added.