Stefanos Tsitsipas awkwardly snubbed Novak Djokovic recently (Image: Getty)
Novak Djokovic’s feud with Stefanos Tsitsipas has been reignited after the Greek snubbed the 24-time Grand Slam champion while naming the greatest sportsperson of all-time. Tsitsipas and his fellow tennis stars Aleksandar Zverev and Casper Ruud were all asked the same winner-stays-on questions, pitting greats of their game against football legends, basketball icons and boxing champions.
Names like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan were posited, but both Zverev and Ruud picked Djokovic as the last man standing. Tsitsipas, however, went for Rafael Nadal instead in the interview with 433 and the ATP Tour.
In fact, the 26-year-old was faced with a Nadal vs Djokovic showdown at the very end of the game, but opted for the Spaniard in spite of him winning fewer major titles. The snub may come as little surprise given the frigid history between Tsitsipas and Djokovic.
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The pair have clashed several times on court, and thrown subtle jabs at one another off it. In 2021, after Tsitsipas took a long bathroom break during a match against Andy Murray at the US Open, Djokovic accused the youngster of covertly trying to disrupt his opponent’s momentum.
He never specifcally referenced Tsitsipas, but the 37-year-old said he wasn’t a fan of lengthy toilet breaks and insisted it was an “issue that needed to be addressed” in tennis. Tsitsipas hit back, saying there was nothing in the rules that prohibited such breaks.
During the 2023 French Open, Djokovic took issue with what he perceived to be similary-disruptive antics in a match against Tsitsipas, who delayed the start of a tiebreak by taking extra time to get ready. Annoyed by the lengthy wait, Djokovic told the umpire: “Every single time.”
Tsitsipas has a history of tension with Djokovic (Image: Getty)
In 2020, Tsitsipas struck his father and coach in frustration during a match against Djokovic. After the clash, Djokovic urged his opponent to “manage his emotions” better and not to let anger get the better of him. Tsitsipas took offence to this, and told him not to comment on the emotional outbursts of others given his own record of on-court misconduct.
The pair have also made several passive-aggressive remarks to one another. At the 2023 Australian Open, Tsitsipas praised Roger Federer as the “greatest of all time” shortly after Djokovic’s victory in the semi-final, which many saw as a subtle dig at the Belgrade native.
Djokovic and Tsitsipas met in the final, with the former cruising to victory in straight sets. After the match, he commended Tsitsipas’ efforts, but hinted that the road to dethroning him was still a way off. Tsitsipas Sr. was later accused of disrespecting the victor after refusing to stand during the trophy presentation ceremony.
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Djokovic has a very strong record against Tsitsipas (Image: Getty)
Elsewhere, Tsitsipas once mentioned that he felt Djokovic had an advantage over his opponents during Grand Slam tournaments because of his “close relationship with tournament organisers”, hinting heavily at favouritism. In response, Djokovic spoke of the younger generation’s “lack of respect”, particualrly towards the established ‘Big Three’ (Djokovic, Nadal and Federer).
Tsitsipas was also critical of Djokovic’s Covid-19 vaccine stance. After the Serbian was deported from Australia in 2022 due to his unvaccinated status, Tsitsipas complained that some players were “making their own rules”, in a not-so-subtle swipe.
The duo have faced each other 14 times overall, with Djokovic winning 12 of those encounters. Tsitsipas’ last victory over him came in 2019, and he’s lost 11 matches on the bounce since. The Greek star has never won a Grand Slam title, but has managed to reach two finals – the French Open in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2023. On both occasions, however, he was beaten by Djokovic.
