Stefanos Tsitsipas has faced backlash on social media after jokingly calling his girlfriend, fellow tennis player Paula Badosa, a “hippo.”
The Greek athlete, ranked 11th in the world, made the remarks while posting a series of videos to his Instagram Stories taken during the couple’s trip to Monaco earlier this week, following his defeat at Wimbledon.
In one video, Tsitsipas said he had Badosa carry his suitcase up a hill to earn money for lunch.
“Paula is hungry as always, that’s why I started calling her Hippo,” Tsitsipas said of the Spaniard.
“I want you to be healthier. That’s a nice way of saying it. This walk is to make you healthier. I have a strategy. Why am I making you walk all over Monaco? I’ll leave that to you to guess.”
In another video, Badosa finally arrives at a restaurant and expresses her joy at being able to eat, telling Tsitsipas: “I’m going to eat everything on the menu. I’m sweaty, I’m very tired and I’m hungry.”
He replied, “You can eat as much as you want. I’m just saying this because we have plenty of walking to do.”
As Badosa ate lunch, Tsitsipas continued to taunt her, claiming that “the name Badosa means small and humble and you are neither.”
“There’s one thing you’re not small for. You’re so great. Where is your humility? I haven’t found it yet,” he said.
While Badosa seemed to take Tsitsipas’ comments lightly, many others saw no humor in the exchange.
“Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Instagram story series today mocks and insults his girlfriend Paula Badosa and is very uncomfortable to watch,” one X user wrote alongside the footage.
Another person said:: “Pro tip: Your boyfriend shouldn’t call you a hippo or tell you that you have a right to eat his food because you can walk out and eat it later. What a jerk.”
“That was painful to watch,” a third agreed, while another added: “Wow this is pretty awful, why is she so into him?”
But some critics have accused him of not understanding Tsitsipas’ “sarcastic humour”.
“They’re world-class athletes and they inspire each other while trying to find balance in what they eat, how much they exercise, and all the while having fun and teasing each other.” One person said.
“They’re together as coaches, they push each other to be better. He keeps her honest and she does too. If you don’t get Steph’s sarcastic humor, you don’t need to be with him… They’re laughing and they get it for us, too. Take it easy.”
“This is the children’s book character ‘The Very Hungry Hippo’. They’re both teasing each other and joking around like lovers,” commented another user.
Meanwhile, a third wrote: “Sounds like two people who know each other well and like each other are just messing around and teasing each other. People need to pull themselves together and let strangers live their lives.”
Tsitsipas and Badosa, who went public with their relationship last year, briefly separated in April but have since rekindled.
“Paula has done nothing wrong and I have done nothing wrong,” Tsitsipas told Greek news agencies. SDN A They decided to separate in May, then got back together.
“Being away was tough and I was going through a tough time too. I was feeling the pressure of touring and working and you could say I just couldn’t cope. Combining the two seemed like too much so I decided to take some time off.
“After a few weeks, I realized she was a very supportive person… I felt how much love we had for each other. I realized this relationship with Paula was completely different to any I’d had in the past.”
“She is my special someone and I feel we understand each other, which gives value to everything I do and I want her there as often as possible. So, yes, we have reconnected and are having good moments.”
