"I thought modern feminism was a cult to you" - Tennis fans slam Stefanos Tsitsipas' Women's Day post over his past criticism of modern feminism

Stefanos Tsitsipas faced backlash from tennis fans over his International Women's Day post given his previous controversial statement about modern feminism.

In December 2022, Tsitsipas made headlines for his controversial and derogatory remarks about modern feminism. He had commented on the "unfair" nature of the feminist movement and likened it to a cult that seeks to denigrate men.

"In my opinion everyone is and should be equal to everyone. No matter your background, gender, religion, ethnicity or race. Modern feminism has swerved from gender equality into a cult of outrage that seeks to disparage men. How is that fair?" Stefanos Tsitsipas wrote on Twitter.

Following severe backlash to his opinion, the 24-year-old backtracked on his statement and posted a more positive message about feminism and its effect on empowering women. His words were met with skepticism as fans felt it was a poor way to divert attention.

On March 8, International Women's Day, the World No. 3 posted about the need to celebrate women and the progress being made to achieve equality between the genders. He added that there was a need for everyone to unite in order to establish a future where women would be able to thrive.

"Happy International Women's Day! Let's celebrate women's amazing contributions and progress towards equality. To all women: your strength, resilience, and grace are powerful. Let's work towards a brighter future where all women can thrive," Tsitsipas posted.

Tennis fans were quick to call out the Greek's hypocrisy given his past criticism of feminism. One fan pointed out that the Greek had previously likened modern feminism to a cult.

"Wait but I thought modern feminism was a cult to you," the fan wrote.

"So modern feminism isn’t that bad today!," another fan chimed in sarcastically.

Here are some more reactions to Stefanos Tsitsipas' International Women's Day post:

Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Jordan Thompson in the Indian Wells Masters second round

Stefanos Tsitsipas had a great start to the 2023 season as he made his second Grand Slam final at the Australian Open, losing to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. He competed at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam next, where he was defeated by Jannik Sinner in the second round.

Subsequently, the 24-year-old was forced to withdraw from the Mexican Open due to a shoulder injury he sustained in Australia. He will be back in action at the Indian Wells Masters where he will take on Jordan Thompson in the second round. Thompson defeated Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-1 to book his spot against Tsitsipas.

Stefanos Tsitsipas won both his previous encounters against Thompson, with his most recent victory coming at Wimbledon 2022.