The U.S. Open is starting to look less like tennis and more like Monday Night Raw.
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Around midnight, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniel Altmaier turned their post-match handshake into a sideshow after Altmaier stunned the Greek star in five sets. The drama? An underhand serve.
"Next time, don't wonder why I hit you, OK? No, I'm just saying if you serve underarm," Tsitsipas snapped at Altmaier as the two shook hands, per Open hot mic audio.
Altmaier brushed it off with a "too late" and a shoulder pat, but Tsitsipas wouldn't let it go, repeating "If you serve underarm" while walking toward him. Altmaier waved him off and moved to greet the umpires. The crowd booed, then flipped to cheers when Altmaier raised his arms in triumph on his way off the court.
Stefanos Tsitsipas had some words with Dan Altmaier after losing to him at U.S. Open:
He’s complaining about Dan hitting an underarm serve during the 4th set.
Frosty. 🥶
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 29, 2025
The underhand serve — legal but rarely used — is what set Tsitsipas off. His line about "wondering why I hit you" suggested he may have tried to drill Altmaier with the ball during the match. Altmaier, ranked No. 56 in the world, used the tactic as part of his comeback in a U.S. Open marathon 7-6(5), 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win that lasted four hours and 26 minutes.
Altmaier wasn't interested in the feud.
"I know sometimes in the heat of the moment you can say stuff you regret," he told reporters at the Open. "I'm not a fan of it. Even if I would have lost, I wouldn't enter discussions at the net. You need to cool down."
Instead, he'll take the victory — his first trip to the U.S. Open third round — and a date with No. 8 seed Alex de Minaur on Saturday.
Tsitsipas? He'll take the boos and the bad look, courtesy of a legal serve he couldn't handle.
