Murray and Tsitsipas were once at loggerheads in toilet breaks spat
Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas were worst of enemies in a spat over toilet breaks ‘longer than Jeff Bezos flying to space’, with Scot labelling it as ‘CHEATING’ – but now they claim to be ‘friends’ ahead of Wimbledon reunion
- Andy Murray accused Stefanos Tsitsipas of ‘cheating’ the last time they played
- Things became heated at the 2021 US Open but they have quashed row since
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It’s safe to say the last time Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas faced off at a grand slam, a storm swept through New York.
Murray accused his rival of ‘cheating’ and walked away having lost, not just the match, but also ‘respect’ for Tstisipas.
The issue? Bathroom breaks. Or as Murray put it, a break that took so long Jeff Bezos could have made it to the moon quicker.
That was 2021 at the US Open, the pair’s second meeting in singles. Both now insist any rift is long water under the bridge. But it would be remiss not to reflect on their jousting match as they prepare to face off today at Wimbledon.
‘Fact of the day. It takes Stefanos Tsitipas [sic] twice as long to go the bathroom as it takes Jeff Bazos [sic] to fly into space. Interesting,’ Murray mused on Twitter back then.
Andy Murray was absolutely livid with Stefanos Tstisipas when they last faced off in 2021
Tsitsipas, who faces Murray at Wimbledon today, was at the centre of a bathroom break row
It all started when Tstisipas went off court for a bathroom break, leaving the Scot furious.
Courtside microphones picked up the British tennis star’s frustration at the time it took for the world No 3 to take comfort breaks in New York.
A furious Murray blasted the Greek star for the ‘nonsense’ and said he had lost respect for him after Tsitsipas disappeared off court for almost eight minutes at the start of the fifth set.
Murray claimed Tsitsipas was going to the toilet ‘for 20 minutes every time’. Amazon founder Bezos’s famous flight into space a month prior from the Texas desert took 10 minutes.
During the match Murray could be heard raging to supervisor Gerry Armstrong: ‘What, for 20 minutes every time? How long do you think it was?
‘In the toilets right there, what’s he doing in there? It’s never once taken me that long to go to the toilet ever when it’s right there.’
He continued to the match umpire: ‘What’s your opinion on this? Give me an opinion, do you think it’s good?’ He also branded Tsitsipas’ toilet breaks as ‘cheating’.
Days later Murray was still furious, not because he lost but more because of the conduct he believed is not in the spirit of the game.
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Murray vented his frustrations of how long Tstisipas was taking in the bathroom on Twitter
The pair have since mended their relationship by becoming friendly at the Laver Cup event
‘I rate him a lot. I think he’s a brilliant player. I think he’s great for the game. But I have zero time for that stuff at all, and I lost respect for him,’ Murray told reporters after.
‘That’s what I feel. But if everyone else feels like that’s totally cool and there’s no issue with it, then maybe I’m the one being unreasonable.
‘But I think it’s nonsense. And he knows it, as well.’
Things ratcheted up when media took on Tsitsipas after his 2-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Probed on his bathroom breaks, Tsitsipas took a shot at the British press and Murray, asking one reporter: ‘I have a question for you. I don’t watch other people’s business. But I remember watching it when I was younger. Can you please check when Andy Murray faced Novak Djokovic at the final here, before the fifth set, that break, can you please look it up and let me know next time’.
Without hesitation the reporter informed a riled Tsitsipas that Murray took ‘less than three minutes’.
Undeterred, the Greek denied cheating and wrongdoing of any kind, adding: ‘If there’s something that he has to tell me, we should speak, the two of us, to kind of understand what went wrong,’ Tsitsipas said.
‘I don’t think I broke any rules. I played by the guidelines, how everything is. I don’t know how my opponent feels when I’m out there playing the match. It’s not really my priority.
Murray is now looking to oust the Greek star on Centre Court in Wimbledon’s second round
‘As far as I’m playing by the rules.’
They meet again today in the blockbuster game of the day at Wimbledon, with Centre Court the backdrop for their second round clash.
Asked if the prospect of toilet gate could be back on the agenda, Tsitsipas was dismissive.
‘I think it has been settled already a long time ago,’ Tsitsipas said.
If the Greek needs the loo, we’ll soon find out.
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