Stefanos Tsitsipas found himself at the center of controversy during his fourth-round match against Holger Rune at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The Greek tennis star, visibly frustrated after losing a crucial game, unintentionally directed his anger towards his opponent’s equipment. The incident occurred after Rune broke Tsitsipas’ serve in the fifth game of the second set, establishing a 3-2 lead. In a moment of frustration, Tsitsipas took a ball from his pocket and smashed it with his racket, sending it flying into Rune’s tennis bag placed courtside. The impact produced a loud noise, drawing boos from the crowd and earning Tsitsipas a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.
This incident marked a low point in Tsitsipas’ otherwise impressive run, which included a seven-match winning streak and a title at the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Despite his recent success, Tsitsipas struggled to find answers against Rune, who delivered a dominant performance to secure a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Rune’s win sets him up for a quarterfinal clash against Tallon Griekspoor at the prestigious Masters 1000 hardcourt event in California’s Coachella Valley. Meanwhile, Tsitsipas’ actions have sparked discussions about sportsmanship and the pressures faced by professional athletes in high-stakes matches.
Tsitsipas given an unsportsmanlike conduct warning for firing a ball at Rune’s equipment bag
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Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2025
Now the world no.9, Tsitsipas played his last match on the 11th of March when he lost to world no.13 Holger Rune 6-4 6-4 in the 4th round in Indian Wells (draw).
This year Stefanos owns a compiled 10-5 win-loss record. Stefanos has won 1 title in Dubai.
He is also scheduled to play in Miami (Miami Open) on the 17th of March and Miami (Miami Open) on the 19th of March.
Rune in Indian Wells, ranking, and results in 2025
WWWWLWLLWW At the moment ranked no.13, the Dane owns a composed 9-6 win-loss record in 2025. Rune is now competing in Indian Wells where he toppled Unknown Player bye, the world no.79 Corentin Moutet 6-2 6-4, the world no.19 Ugo Humbert 5-7 6-4 7-5 and the world no.9 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 6-4.
Holger Rune will compete against the world no.43 Tallon Griekspoor in the quarter. Their record is 2-0 for Griekspoor.
The Dane won 4 titles in his career: 2 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of his titles)
Rune will play next in Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (Monte–Carlo). He will start the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 1st of January.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune faced off 4 times. Their record is 4-0 for Rune.
