Tennis fans call out ‘deeply uncomfortable’ footage of world No. 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas making cruel jokes about his on-off girlfriend Paula Badosa
Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas has come under fire for making “very uncomfortable” comments about her weight to his WTA girlfriend Paula Badosa.
The controversy arose after Tsitsipas posted a series of videos to his Instagram Story during the couple’s trip to Monaco, in which he jokingly called Badosa a “hippo” and made comments about her fitness.
In a clip, Tsitsipas, currently ranked 11th in the world, said he made Badosa carry her suitcase up a hill to “earn her lunch”.
He said, ‘Paula is hungry as always, that’s why I started calling her hippo. I want you to get fitter. That’s the nice way to say it.
“This walk is about getting even fitter. I use strategy behind it. Why am I making you walk all of Monaco? I’m leaving the assumptions up to you.”
In another video, Badosa was seen expressing relief when she finally reached a restaurant, telling Tsitsipas, “I’ll take the whole menu. I’m sweating, I’m so tired, I’m hungry.”
Tsitsipas replied: ‘You can eat as much as you want. I’m telling you this because there’s still plenty of walking to do afterwards.’
“Is this okay, girls? Please help me,” she pleads into the camera.
Tsitsipas keeps a straight face as he insists his tennis star girlfriend Badosa carry her luggage as they walk at a frenetic pace while she gives a single-digit answer
Badosa begs camera after being yelled at by Greek tennis star: ‘help me, girls’
He continued to mock her as she ate, declaring, “Your name means small and humble, but you are neither of those things. There is one thing you are not: small. You are quite grande (great). Where is your humility? I have not found it yet.”
Many social media users could not find the exchange funny.
One of them wrote: ‘Today’s Instastories from Stefanos Tsitsipas, where he ridicules and insults his girlfriend Paula Badosa, are extremely uncomfortable to watch.’
Another commented: ‘Pro tip: Your boyfriend shouldn’t call you a hippo and tell you you’ve earned the right to eat because you can walk it off later. What a jerk.’
Others defended Tsitsipas, saying his comments were meant sarcastically.
One supporter said: ‘They are world class athletes who motivate each other and at the same time they are trying to find a balance between how much and what they eat and how much they exercise, while teasing each other and having fun.’
“They’re both egging each other on and coaching each other. If you don’t get Stef’s sarcastic humor, you don’t have to date him.”
Tsitsipas and Badosa announced themselves as a couple at Wimbledon in 2023, but split in May this year and then got back together.
The controversy arose after Badosa, previously ranked world number two, announced earlier this year that she and Tsitsipas had ended their nearly year-long relationship but that they wanted to remain friends.
Despite their split, recent footage shows the two walking hand in hand through Monaco and enjoying themselves together.
Tsitsipas has previously been criticized for his views on gender roles.
In a video he shared, men were portrayed as “caregivers” and women in more subordinate roles, which many fans found offensive.
The video, which showed scenes from family life, claimed: ‘Men and women are not the same, and that is a blessing. He provides and protects, I [the woman] multiply. He is the head of the family, I am the heart… He provides the ingredients, I make the meal.’
This video resurfaced following Tsitsipas’ recent comments, with one fan commenting: “Crazy if his girlfriend is a working woman… sigh.”
Despite this, Tsitsipas was spotted cheering on Badosa at Wimbledon. After she reached the fourth round, he posted a loving message saying: “Proud of you @paulabadosa,” with a heart emoji.
Read more: Stefanos Tsitsipas writes obsequious 676-word essay attempting to walk back comments calling Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios ‘uneducated’ >
