The 2023 Italian Open in Rome witnessed a dramatic incident involving tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas and his mother, Julia Apostoli. Tsitsipas, who is coached by his father Apostolos, has a close-knit relationship with his parents, but during his match, tensions arose due to his mother’s use of Russian on the sidelines.

After losing the first set 5-7 to opponent Daniil Medvedev, Tsitsipas became frustrated by his mother’s instructions delivered in Russian, considering that Medvedev is Russian himself. Seething with annoyance, Tsitsipas approached his mother during the break between sets, urging her to leave the court and cease her Russian commentary.

The Greek player bluntly told his mother, “I’m going to serve, and you’re speaking in Russian. You better leave the court.”

This unexpected exchange sparked controversy and altered the atmosphere of the match. Acting promptly, Tsitsipas asked his team to escort his mother from the player’s box. Julia, who had been offering well-intentioned advice moments earlier, gracefully relocated to the stands to watch the remainder of the match from a less contentious perspective.

Despite the effort to regain composure, Tsitsipas couldn’t overcome Medvedev’s strong performance, ultimately losing in two sets. Medvedev celebrated his victory, marking his first ATP 1000 final on clay, with an exuberant victory dance.

The incident between Tsitsipas and his mother has brought attention to the complex dynamics of parent-child relationships in professional sports, shedding light on the challenges faced by athletes and the potential impact of family involvement on their performance.