Roger Federer Responds to Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Claims

Roger Federer responded to Stefanos Tsitsipas accusations that the most experienced players on the ATP circuit receive special treatment from officials.

Roger Federer, speaking after securing the 101st ATP title of his career at the Miami Masters on Sunday, firmly disagreed with the claims made by the Greek star. Following his match with Roger Federer, the Greek player appeared in the doubles finals event in Miami pairing with Wesley Koolhof on Saturday, Tsitsipas inculpated umpire Gianluca Moscarella of giving privileges to their opponents Bob and Mike Bryan. He also referred Federer as one of the participants getting preferential treatment.

The Bryan brothers won their sixth Miami Masters title with a 7-5, 7-6 win. But during a game, Stefanos furiously charged towards the chair umpire after he overruled a serve that was called in. Tsitsipas and Koolhof challenged the umpires’ decision and the Hawkeye showed that the ball was well inside the line

Tsitsipas fumed at the chair umpire. He said, “Why are you giving them so many privileges?”

Moscarella replied: “It’s not a privilege, they have the right to do it, it’s all I can do.”

Stefanos struck back, “The feeling that I have is that you’re giving them privilege as you do with Roger [Federer] and everybody else.”

The Greek player did not stop there, he took it to Twitter to defend his accusations on umpires. He tweeted:  “I think players that have been doing really well over the years, players that are generally much respected in the tennis world, have privileges when it comes to certain rules and umpire decisions.”

https://twitter.com/ProdigyRepV3/status/1112098128033910786?s=19

The Athenian does not have any grievances regarding his idol Roger Federer over the matter. He feels that Roger Federer is not the one to be blamed, it’s not his fault.

Roger Federer admitted that the umpires might communicate differently with players they are more familiar with, but this does not result in preferential treatments. Roger Federer told AFP, “Its a tough one but what I do feel sometimes is that on the outside courts, more than just preferential treatments to the top guys, they are tougher on the rules.”

“You do something – bang, warning. It’s like there is no messing about.”

Roger Federer continued, “But with the umpires with the top guys on the main courts, I think the umpires know the top guys, they know their problems, they know how they behave and how they will react, so they know what acting stupid or silly means and what normal is.”

Roger Federer continued, “So because we know each other very well, I think it’s easier for an umpire to handle a top player who they know over an up-and-coming guy like Tsitsipas or a young guy and that sometimes gets lost in translation and maybe bad mistakes can happen.”

Roger Federer concluded “But I don’t see preferential treatment, there shouldn’t be. If I get warnings – I got one recently – it’s normal. So they should just, based on what happens, take those decisions and I really feel the umpires do that.”

“I am sorry that Stefanos [Tsitsipas] feels that way.”