WATCH: Controversial scenes as Stefanos Tsitsipas fires ball at Holger Rune's tennis bag in frustrated act at Indian Wells; receives code violation
Stefanos Tsitsipas stirred controversy during his fourth-round loss to Holger Rune at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The Greek, infuriated after losing a game at a crucial juncture of the match, unintentionally took out his frustrations on his Danish opponent's tennis bag. The act didn't do any favors for Tsitsipas, as he went on to receive a code violation for his behavior.
On Tuesday, March 11, Tsitsipas faced Rune, an opponent he had yet to defeat in their previous three matches. Things continued in the same vein on this occasion as Rune produced a dominant performance that left Tsitsipas scrambling for solutions throughout the contest. The 21-year-old Dane came out on top with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-4 victory.
The moment of controversy came after Holger Rune broke Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fifth game of the second set. Rune converted the break point opportunity after a rally that showcased the Dane displaying his court coverage prowess. It ended with Tsitsipas trying to slice volley a crosscourt backhand from Rune. The ball though, couldn't make its way past the net, allowing the Dane to establish a 3-2 second-set lead.
An irate Tsitsipas took out a ball from his pocket and angrily smashed it with his racket without much thought. The ball flew low, fast and hard, straight into Rune's Babolat racket bag placed courtside, and there was a loud, clattering noise from the impact. Boos rang out as the Greek received a code violation from the chair umpire for unsportsmanlike conduct. Watch the moment below:
The loss brought an end to Tsitsipas' seven-match winning streak, during which he clinched his 12th ATP Tour-level title at the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Meanwhile, Rune's win sets him up for a quarterfinal clash against Tallon Griekspoor at the prestigious Masters 1000 hardcourt event in California's Coachella Valley.
Ahead of the match, Tsitsipas had taken a subtle swipe at his former coaches in light of his much-improved recent form.
"I have had a few coaches that I don't feel like they are as open-minded" - Stefanos Tsitsipas before Indian Wells 4R clash against Holger Rune
After defeating Matteo Berrettini in the third round of the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Stefanos Tsitsipas criticized his former coaches. According to the Greek, his current coach Dimitris Chatzinikolaou is much more "open-minded" in terms of listening to him during practice.
"I can just talk to him (Chatzinikolaou) and be precise about how I feel and what I can improve, things that we can consider for the future. I feel like he's very open-minded, like he listens. I have had a few coaches that, you know, I don't feel like they are as open-minded and adjusting as fast," Tsitsipas said during a post-match press conference.
Interestingly, Tsitsipas had a heated public bust-up with his father Apostolos, who previously used to coach him. Not long after the controversy, the Greek announced that his father would no longer be working with him in a coaching capacity.