Stefanos Tsitsipas to Daniel Altmaier: “Don’t wonder why I hit you” after underarm serve

NEW YORK — Stefanos Tsitsipas was left fuming after another early Grand Slam exit, this time at a US Open already marked by fiery on-court clashes.

The No. 26 seed had some choice words for opponent Daniel Altmaier after the German, ranked No. 56, used an underarm serve during their dramatic second-round battle. Altmaier went on to complete a 7-6 (5), 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 upset on Thursday evening.

“Next time, don’t wonder why I hit you, OK?” Tsitsipas was heard telling Altmaier at the net, with the exchange picked up on microphones.

“No, I’m just saying if you serve underarm,” Tsitsipas added, as Altmaier patted him on the shoulder and told him it was “too late.” Boos poured down from the Grandstand crowd as Tsitsipas tried to continue: “If you serve underarm…”

At that point Altmaier raised a hand, stepped away, and shook the umpire’s hand before roaring in celebration of his win. He’ll face No. 8 seed Alex de Minaur next for a place in the fourth round.

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While the result was an upset on paper, it was no shock to see the struggling Greek fall early again. Tsitsipas has now failed to get past the second round in six straight majors, hampered by an ongoing back injury. Once ranked world No. 3, he’s now down to No. 28. Off the court, he’s cycled through coaching drama—parting with Goran Ivanisevic after a brief stint before re-hiring his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, as head coach.

“I’m battling many wars these days. It’s really painful to see myself in a situation like this,” Tsitsipas said after Wimbledon, where he retired mid-match in the first round against Valentin Royer. “I’ve tried everything. I’ve done an incredible job with my fitness. I’ve done an incredible job with my physiotherapy. Right now I’m just absolutely left with no answers.”

For Altmaier, the win sends him into the US Open third round for the first time, and marks only his second time making the third round at a Slam outside Roland Garros, after runs in 2020 and 2025.

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On Thursday, he took the opening set before Tsitsipas rallied to grab the second and third. Altmaier then turned to the legal, but often controversial, underarm serve in the fourth, using it twice in a bid to break his opponent’s rhythm.

The tactic clearly infuriated Tsitsipas. A few games later, he fired a forehand directly at Altmaier at the net, striking him with the ball. He quickly raised his hand in apology, but their post-match exchange implied that he had done so deliberately.

“I know that sometimes in the heat of the moment you can say stuff which you don’t normally would like to say,” Altmaier told press afterward, via Ben Rothenberg’s Substack, Bounces. “Even if I would have lost, I would not enter discussions because it’s just like the heat of the moment. You need to cool down.”

The tense scene came just a day after Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend clashed in their own heated post-match altercation, with Ostapenko blasting the American for not offering a courtesy apology on a netcord point. She escalated further, saying Townsend had “no class and no education” and pointing her finger in her opponent’s face while warning her to “see what happens outside when we get outside of the US.”

Earlier in the tournament, Daniil Medvedev was fined $42,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct and racquet abuse. His frustration boiled over when a photographer wandered on court during his first-round match, giving Benjamin Bonzi another first serve. The incident triggered a seven-minute delay as Medvedev raged at chair umpire Greg Allensworth and incited the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd to join in.