Stefanos Tsitsipas has clarified his intention of the viral video he shared on social media about the role of women that became a hotbed of controversy.
Last month, Tsitsipas posted on his Instagram stories a video augmenting gender prejudice whereby the narrator, who was a woman, is portrayed as a "multiplier" of children and tasked with the role of child-rearing.
At the same time, the man is depicted as a "provider" who "protects" the family. Tsitsipas, who boasts almost two million followers on Instagram, received severe criticism from the tennis community for vouching for such a theme.
Several fans branded him a "misogynist," while others slammed him for his "retrogressive" and "disgusting" view of women. It didn't take long before the Greek star pulled down the post, getting backlash from all angles.
Tsitsipas, who is competing at this year's Wimbledon championships and is due to play Taro Daniel in the first round on Tuesday, has now addressed the controversial post in an interview with SDNA.
The former World No. 3 explained that he did not have any ill intentions, and he was inspired by his "romantic" personality and defended himself from being labeled a "misogynist."
"My intentions were completely different from what people saw. I am a very romantic person and I like videos and generally arts that have to do with something beautiful and impressive. I saw it from that side too. I didn't see it as sexist or misogynistic, as it was treated by many people."
This is not the first time that Tsitsipas has found himself in hot water over comments or posts about anti-feminism. The 25-year-old, who has been accused of stealing tweets and quotes from famous people in the past, tweeted in December 2022, "Modern feminism has swerved from gender equality into a cult of outrage that seeks to disparage men."
Tsitsipas has stated that he was wrong in both cases and that he underestimated the effect of his actions.
"I will say that I was wrong, I shouldn't have shared something like that because it was misunderstood by many."