Stefanos Tsitsipas requested his mom to leave the stadium after she spoke Russian in his match at the 2023 Italian Open in Rome.
The relationship between parents and their kids who are professional athletes is well-known in the world of sports. On the ATP Tour, we know a few players that are coached by their parents and Stefanos Tsitsipas is one of them.
In his box, Apostolos Tsitsipas, his father, sits as the head coach, with his mother, Julia Apostoli, who is a former player, also offering her advice every now and then. Yet, Stefanos doesn't always appreciate the help from his parents, and that's understandable.
Tsitsipas was just broken in the first set, which he subsequently lost 5-7 when the interaction between him and his parents occurred. It wasn't a remarkable shot or an injury that changed the game. It was the subtle instructions delivered from the sidelines by Tsitsipas' mother, Iulia Tsitsipas, in Russian.
A strange choice, given that her son's opponent, Daniil Medvedev, is Russian. This moment of sideline commentary spread across the court and angered the Greek player.
Once Tsitsipas returned to his bench during the break in between the sets, he addressed a few words to his mom as he didn't want her to be present in his box.
"I'm going to serve and you're speaking in Russian, you better leave the court."
Julia Apostoli, who moments ago had been offering well-intentioned advice, now found herself at the center of an unexpected controversy. Swiftly, Tsitsipas asked his team to escort her off the court.
With an air of dignity, Julia relocated to the stands, watching the rest of the match from a less controversial vantage point. But by then, the damage was done, and the moment had imprinted itself on the match, altering the atmosphere significantly.
Eventually, that didn't help Tsitsipas as he was outplayed by Medvedev in two sets as the Russian reached his first ATP 1000 final on clay and even celebrated it with a victory dance.
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