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’s fourth-round defeat to Holger Rune at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells was marred by a moment of controversy. Frustrated after losing a crucial game, Tsitsipas unintentionally directed his anger towards Rune’s tennis bag, earning him a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.
On Tuesday, March 11th, Tsitsipas faced Rune, a player he had yet to defeat in their previous encounters. Rune continued his dominance, delivering a strong performance that left Tsitsipas struggling. The 21-year-old Dane secured a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
The controversial incident occurred after Rune broke Tsitsipas’s serve in the fifth game of the second set. Rune capitalized on a break point opportunity after a rally that showcased his excellent court coverage. Tsitsipas’s attempt at a slice volley failed, giving Rune a 3-2 lead.
In frustration, Tsitsipas angrily struck a ball from his pocket with his racket, sending it flying hard and low into Rune’s Babolat racket bag, which was placed courtside. The impact produced a loud noise, and the crowd responded with boos as the chair umpire issued Tsitsipas a code violation.
The loss ended Tsitsipas’s seven-match winning streak, which included his 12th ATP Tour-level title at the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Rune’s victory advanced him to a quarterfinal match against Tallon Griekspoor at the Masters 1000 event.
Prior to the match, Tsitsipas had subtly criticized his former coaches, praising his current coach, Dimitris Chatzinikolaou.
After defeating Matteo Berrettini in the third round, Tsitsipas stated that Chatzinikolaou is more “open-minded” than his previous coaches. “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.
Notably, Tsitsipas had previously experienced a public dispute with his father, Apostolos, who had served as his coach. Shortly after, Tsitsipas announced that his father would no longer be part of his coaching team.
