Stefanos Tsitsipas responds to criticism of toilet breaks after US Open exit | US Open tennis 2021

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Stefanos Tsitsipas has said the gambling accusations are completely false after being knocked out of the 2021 US Open by rising Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz.

The third seed had been criticized for the timing and length of his bathroom breaks, with Andy Murray criticizing him heavily after their first-round match. Tsitsipas was booed again by the Flushing Meadows crowd when he left the pitch after losing the third set on Friday.

The Greek player returned to the pitch and won the fourth set 6-0, only to lose a tiebreaker in the final set as Alcaraz qualified for the last 16 with a 6-3 4-6 7-6 (2) 0-6 7-6 (5) win. After his loss, Tsitsipas said he was misunderstood and made the tournament villain for no reason.

I don’t pretend that everyone loves me. My intentions are not to be loved by everyone, Tsitsipas said. Each person can choose his favorite player, choose his side. Because people don’t know, that’s the trick. All of these accusations are completely false.

I know all of these things went against me for no reason, added the 23-year-old. I took my toilet break like a normal athlete. [I] could have taken a little longer than other athletes. But if there is a rule that says there is a specific time that you are allowed to take, then I would probably try to follow that.

But I have the impression that people don’t understand. They are there for the show, they want to watch tennis. They are very impatient, especially the new generation. They just want to do it quickly. For me, the only thing I did was switch from wet clothes to dry clothes. Apparently this is a huge problem.

As Tsitsipas defended himself, Alcaraz basked in a dream come true. The Spanish teenager has already been hailed as Rafael Nadal’s successor and he seized his chance on the big stage in a superb manner.

I have no words to explain how I’m feeling right now, the 18-year-old said. I just don’t know what happened in the courtroom. I can’t believe I beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in an epic match. For me, this is a dream come true.

Rising star Carlos Alcaraz celebrates the biggest victory of his career to date. Photograph: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images

There was another upheaval in the Friday night session, as Frances Tiafoe beat No.5 seed Andrey Rublev in five sets. A small crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium stayed to cheer on every point as the match went on until 2:14 a.m., one of the last arrivals in tournament history.

Tiafoe lost in five sets here to John Isner in 2016, Roger Federer in 2017 and Alexander Zverev in 2019, but won 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-1 against his Russian. opponent. He could still meet Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, if he manages to create another upset against Félix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round.

Canada’s No. 12 seed beat Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in another straight-set battle on Friday. Meanwhile, Alcaraz will face German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk in his next game in New York.

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