Daniel Altmaier gives his verdict on Stefanos Tsitsipas' conduct after confrontation at the net following US Open clash

Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered another heartbreaking defeat on Thursday evening and didn’t take it well…

When Daniel Altmaier hit a backhand volley to secure his place in the third round of the US Open with a 7-6, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win, Tsitsipas wasn’t best pleased.

Confronting Altmaier at the net, Tsitsipas complained about an underarm serve the German hit during the fourth set.

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

“Next time, don’t wonder why I hit you, ok?” he said.

“I’m just saying, if you serve underarm…”

Altmaier, who walked away from Tsitsipas, has now given his verdict on the Greek’s conduct.

Daniel Altmaier is ‘not a fan’ of net confrontations after Stefanos Tsitsipas incident

Speaking to reporters in the aftermath of his big second-round win, Altmaier told ‘Bounces‘ what he thought about the incident at the net.

“I mean, I know that sometimes in the heat of the moment you can say stuff which you don’t normally like to say,” said Altmaier.

“You regret it afterwards. So I think we all know these discussions at the net; I’m not a fan of it.”

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Altmaier argued he wouldn’t have done the same as Tsitsipas had he lost the match.

More Tennis News

“Even if I would have lost, I would not enter discussions because it’s just the heat of the moment,” he said.

“You need to cool down, let’s see if he reacts to it or sticks to his opinion.

“Which, for me, it’s fine, I think I know what I did, and that’s it. It’s part of the game.”

Underarm serves are indeed ‘part of the game’, as there are no rules stopping players from hitting the shot.

It is, however, frowned upon by many, although that’s a discussion for another day…

Altmaier will now turn his attention to the third round, where he will play Australia’s Alex de Minaur, a player he lost to earlier this year in Rotterdam.

Tsitsipas, on the other hand, has some important decisions to make after suffering yet another early exit at a major in 2025.

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ dismal 2025 Grand Slam campaign

Tsitsipas didn’t enjoy a brilliant Grand Slam campaign in 2024, winning just eight matches, his worst record since 2018.

He would have hoped to make a step forward in 2025, but unfortunately for the Greek star, things got even worse.

Tsitsipas won just two matches at majors all year, a shockingly poor showing for someone of his quality.

Match Opponent Result Score 2025 Australian Open – 1R Alex Michelsen Loss 5-7, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6 2025 French Open – 1R Tomas Martin Etcheverry Win 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 2025 French Open – 2R Matteo Gigante Loss 4-6, 7-5, 2-6, 4-6 2025 Wimbledon – 1R Valentin Royer Loss 3-6, 2-6 (RET) 2025 US Open – 1R Alexandre Muller Win 4-6, 6-0, 6-1, 7-6 2025 US Open – 2R Daniel Altmaier Loss 6-7, 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7 Stefanos Tsitsipas at Grand Slams in 2025

The 27-year-old, who was once ranked as high as third in the world, is currently the 28th best player on the ATP Tour.

For all his struggles, you can’t say Tsitsipas hasn’t tried to make things work in 2025, as he made two big coaching moves this year.

Ahead of the grass-court season, Tsitsipas hired Goran Ivanisevic, a former Wimbledon champion, to his team.

Unfortunately, their partnership was not only short-lived, but unsuccessful and controversial as well, with Ivanisevic describing Tsitsipas as the most ‘underprepared player’ he’d seen.

Photo by Tim Clayton/Getty Images

After splitting with Ivanisevic, Tsitsipas reunited with his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, whom he had fired a year earlier.

The two-time Grand Slam finalist may have expected the move to help him rediscover his form of old, although that hasn’t been the case.

Since bringing his father back into the fold in Canada, Tsitsipas has won just two of his six matches.

Only time will tell if Tsitsipas can start picking up wins on the ATP Tour again, but he will need to get control of things soon if he wants to remain a top-50 player.

Tsitsipas is scheduled to return to action at the China Open, which begins on Monday, September 22.

Click here to read article