Stefanos Tsitsipas have been fined $7500 for breaching bubble protocols at the Miami Masters, the Open Court website reported on Friday evening.
The website quoted an ATP spokesperson saying, “Following a breach of protocols in Miami, ATP can confirm that Stefanos Tsitsipas has incurred a fine of $7500.”
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The Greek star was seeded No 2 in Miami. He went down 6-2, 3-6, 4-6 to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinal of the tournament on Thursday.
A bubble was created for the tournament, with the players’ movements restricted to the stadium and player hotel.
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According to the ATP protocols, “In order to avoid putting yourselves and other at risk, players must restrict their movements and all meals to either the tournament site (and designated practice facilities), or player hotel.
“Failure to do so will result in players being subject to fines and being withdrawn from the event.”
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Tsitsipas, who along with father Apostolos breached the protocols, was lucky that he was not asked to leave the tournament.
The news report also stated that there was ‘chatter’ about a few other players also breaching the bubble to ‘make a trip to Whole Foods.’ The players have not been identified.
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Ahead of the tournament, the 22-year-old Tsitsipas was not thrilled to enter another tournament bubble. He had said that the severe restrictions may have been the reason why big names – including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic—decided to skip the Miami Masters.
“I was very stressed these two weeks,” he said after losing to Hurkacz.
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“Especially this week, I was feeling very stressed. I felt like it was my opportunity. I did quite well, but I feel like there was more space for me to show something greater.”
The two-time Grand Slam semifinalist was bidding to win his first Masters 1000 event.
