Stefanos Tsitsipas explodes and refuses to play in viral meltdown

Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas unleashed a fiery outburst as he torched a chair umpire after being hit with a midgame penalty.

A day after Frances Tiafoe exploded at the Shanghai Masters, Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas delivered his own outburst.

In a round of 16 contest against Daniil Medvedev, Tsitsipas lost his cool at chair umpire Fergus Murphy during the second set.

As he was preparing to serve while up 2-1, he was called for a time violation which docked him of his first serve.

The penalty left the 26-year-old star seeing red as he stormed towards Murphy and began voicing his frustration.

“I’m being so reasonable. Why are you doing this to me man?” Tsitsipas was overheard saying.

“I’m the best about this on tour, the most consistent player about this on tour.

“Why are you guys against me so much? The last few months have been terrible. I don’t understand what’s gotten into you.”

Murphy responded: “On that serve you were too slow.

“You need to watch the clock. You have to keep watching the clock and keep up.”

You can watch Tsitsipas’ outburst in the video player above

The Greek star was not happy.

Tsitsipas’ frustrations got the better of him as he double faulted before Medvedev took the break to equal the scores at 2-2.

After dropping the game, Tsitsipas walked over to his chair and sat down, despite it not being a change of ends, as his opponent prepared to serve.

The Greek star refused to take his place on the court as he continued to argue with Murphy over the penalty.

“I need to talk to them, we need to have a conversation about the time.

“My issue is the double fault you just took away from me. That’s the issue. Have you never played tennis in your life? You have no clue about tennis it seems like.

“Definitely you have no cardio. You probably serve and volley all the time.

Tsitsipas took issue with the time violation.

“Tennis is a physical sport. We need time over there. Show some compassion. We aren’t throwing darts out here.

“If it’s going to be unfair, I need the supervisor, I need to clarify the time violation you just gave me.

“Can I talk to him? You seem like you have no idea what you’re doing so I need to talk to him.

“If you’re going to gift a game like this to my opponent, I need the supervisor. If you’re going to gift a serve to my opponent.”

Tsitsipas refused to play as he called for the supervisor.

Ultimately the match supervisor walked out onto the court and began having a conversation with Tsitsipas who remained unwilling to take his place behind the baseline.

“Your guy here decided to give me a time violation for something completely unreasonable after having to play so many rallies,” he said.

“He probably never felt how it is being out here in 40 degrees playing tennis.

“And he decided to give me a time violation before a big point which has happened with one of your Spanish guys previously in Cincinnati.

“Also another I don’t know, random guy that you decided to put on the chair out there. How can he do that? How can he do that at such a crucial moment?”

Tsitsipas’ anger continued after the contest after he shook Murphy’s hand, muttering: “I hope you get fired. I really wish it.”

Medvedev, who won the match 7-6 6-3, will next face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Thursday at 6pm AEDT.

Originally published as Stefanos Tsitsipas explodes and refuses to play in viral meltdown