Stefanos Tsitsipas' mother reflects on her son being bullied as a child - "He got over it because he had tennis"

Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas is one of the more temperamental players on tour, and his mother, Julia Tsitsipas shed some light on his upbringing as she revealed he was bullied a lot as a kid.

The World No.12 has amassed 11 ATP singles titles during his successful career, including three Masters 1000 titles. Furthermore, he has finished runner-up at two Grand Slam events, reaching a career high ranking of World No.3 in the process.

Known for his occasional outbursts on court and reclusive behavior off it, some may view the Greek star as standoffish. However, Julia Tsitsipas revealed her son was bullied a lot as a child, but persevered due to his devotion to tennis.

"He was a very quiet child and very shy," said Julia Tsitsipas. "Due to sports he skipped lessons and the children he had in the class cannot be called friends, because they treated him very badly.
“There were two – three kids in his class who sometimes beat him up quite a bit. It wasn't easy for Stefanos then, but he got over it because he had tennis and his mind to help him go forward. And that helped him a lot.”

The former French Open finalist is currently in Berlin for the 2024 Laver Cup, where he is part of a star-studded Team Europe. Tsitsipas will be making his fourth appearance at the annual event.