Kyrgios explains why he spat on a fan at Wimbledon 0:31
(CNN) --
Stefanos Tsitsipas said Nick Kyrgios has an "evil side" to his personality after losing to the Australian in a controversial match at Wimbledon on Saturday.
Kyrgios beat Tsitsipas in four sets [6-7(2), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7)] in a contentious and action-packed match on Court 1, but both continued the dispute on their post-match press conferences.
Tsitsipas was frustrated by Kyrgios' "constant hounding" from the other side of the net and tried to hit his opponent with a shot during the heated encounter.
Kyrgios, who was very active throughout the match, was warned by the referee for swearing and was furious when Tsitsipas was not disqualified for throwing a ball into the crowd out of frustration.
"Yes, it's constant bullying, that's what he does. He bullies opponents. He was probably a bully himself at school. I don't like bullies," Tsitsipas told reporters after the match.
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"I don't like people who look down on others. He also has some good traits in his personality. But he also has a very evil side, which, if it comes out, can do a lot of damage and harm to the people around him." .
The game ended with a brief handshake between the two.
Kyrgios, who has already made headlines at Wimbledon for both his outbursts and bold strikes, laughed at his opponent's comments, calling them "soft".
He had previously said that he had enormous respect for the Greek when he was interviewed on the pitch immediately after the match.
"I don't know what to say. I'm not sure how I intimidated him. He was the one that hit me with the balls, he was the one that hit a spectator, he was the one that took him out of the stadium," Kyrgios told reporters after advancing to the round of 16.
"Today I didn't do anything towards Stefanos that was disrespectful. I haven't hit him with balls. To come here and say I bullied him, that's very soft. We're not made of the same cloth. I'm up against guys who are real competitors.
"I have a lot of friends in the locker room, just so you know. I'm actually one of the most loved. I'm established. He's not loved. Let's put that in there."
Tsitsipas later apologized for shooting a ball into the crowd and admitted trying to hit Kyrgios with a body shot.
"I'm not used to playing like this," he said.
"But I can't sit there and act like a robot and behave like someone who is completely cold and ignorant.
"Because you're out there doing your job, and you have noise coming from the other side of the court for absolutely no reason.
"Every point I played today I felt like there was something on the other side of the net."
Kyrgios laughed off the accusations of harassment.
"That's his way of manipulating the opponent and making you feel distracted, in a way. There is no other player who does this. I really hope that all of us players can come up with something and make a cleaner version of our sport, which This type of behavior is not accepted, it is not allowed, it is not tolerated.
Kyrgios, who will play American Brandon Nakashima in the next round, said Tsitsipas should be more concerned with finding a way to beat him.
"I'd be pretty upset if I lost to someone two weeks in a row. Maybe I should figure out how to beat myself a couple more times first," the Australian added.
Nick Kyrgios Stefanos Tsitsipas Wimbledon
