In a sport like tennis, it is rare to come across days that do not involve any form of controversy. In our latest mix of drama, a certain Greek star was the talking point. Well, yes, Stefanos Tsitsipas was in the limelight once again, albeit not for any positive reason. The world number 5 was criticized for his unethical gesture in the middle of a rally during his 2nd round encounter against Nicolas Jarry at the Halle Open.

Serena Williams‘ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs was the first to spot Tsitsipas’ weird movement. She captured the clip and posted it on her Twitter. The word spread like wildfire as the clip started doing rounds on Twitter within minutes.

Twitterati drags Stefanos Tsitsipas and equates him to former and current world number 1s

Tsitsipas was moving his hands in the air, probably to distract Jarry who was getting in a position to hit the overhead shot. Stubbs tweeted the clip and said, “What is Stef doing here!!??? U can’t do that!!!“.

The fans swarmed into the quotes and replies section once the word was out. However, instead of calling out the Greek, the fans brought the WTA number 1 Iga Swiatek, into the discussion. The Pole has tried to distract her opponents in a similar manner on multiple occasions and receives plenty of backlash every time she does so.

A fan believed that the Greek was influenced by Swiatek.

“Iga’s crown shifted a little” – A fan came up with a humorous response.

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The fans continued to come up with hilarious statements.

There were Tsitsipas defenders as well who believed that Swiatek does the same on a larger scale.

A fan thought that Twitter was overreacting to the clip.

Another Tsitsipas defender thought that he couldn’t see the ball.

Someone pointed out that it wasn’t illegal to do so.

Tsitsipas was also slandered for his comments against Nick Kyrgios where he said the Aussie was bringing NBA attitude to tennis but he himself tried to distract the opponent here.

Swiatek was not the only world number 1 who faced this comparison. Old fans brought Jimmy Connors into the discussion as well.

A fan showed no mercy to the American here.

Why was Iga Swiatek brought into this discussion?

Top players do have their trademark strokes or celebration. However, there’s one aspect of Iga Swiatek that leads to negative publicity. She has often tried to distract her opponent in the middle of the rally by moving her hands.

Repeating this gesture several times has made people believe that causing hindrance is a signature Iga Swiatek move.

READ MORE: ‘I Approached Donna and Apologized’ – Iga Swiatek Finally Breaks Silence Over Fans’s Negative Comments About Her

Do you think that causing hindrance should be considered illegal? Should players face a point penalty for distracting their opponents? Do let us know in the comments below.

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