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Stefanos Tsitsipas was hit with a point penalty after receiving multiple code violations for mid-match coaching as he ended a three-match losing streak at the Madrid Open. The former world No. 3 received one warning when his father and coach, Apostolos, started speaking to him when they were on opposite sides of the court.

And umpire Marijana Veljovic gave Tsitsipas a second code violation in set two, when she ruled that Apostolos was talking too much in between points. The Greek star stormed up to the chair, arguing that he was allowed to receive coaching while playing on the same end of the court as his box.

American lucky loser Patrick Kypson was serving at 2-2 15-0 in the final set when Veljovic hit Tsitsipas with another warning as his father kept chatting away between the point. "Code violation, coaching, point penalty, Mr. Tsitsipas. 30-0," she announced.

The world No. 80 immediately marched over as the fans on Stadium 3 started whistling and jeering. "If he talks to you in between the points from the beginning until the end," the umpire said, starting to explain before Tsitsipas cut her off.

"Does it bother my opponent? As far as I know, coaching is allowed," he replied. "Yes, discreet. Stefanos, if talks to you when you're on this side, when you're on that side - If he talks to you in the whole duration between the two points, that's just way too much," Veljovic said.

"Discreet? Is he bothering my opponent?" Tsitsipas asked. "Not at this moment, but it's against the rule," she replied. Referencing his earlier code violation, the Greek player added: "You said not to talk when I'm on the other side of the court, which I'm doing. I'm actually doing. So why, when I'm on my side, it's also not allowed?"

"It's not allowed as much as he does it," Veljovic explained, but Tsitsipas wasn't having it. "You're just going to take a point like this from me because of some stupidity?" he asked, before walking away. But the umpire reminded him: "I have to. Didn't I tell you? I have to do something about it."

Commentators were divided over Veljovic's call. "Well, the point penalty. We've had the warning, that was in the previous set for Tsitsipas. Now he gets the point penalty for coaching," Mikey Perera told viewers. "That's a strong ruling [from] Marijana Veljovic the chair umpire."

Robbie Koenig replied: "It's the same side of the court as his dad now. I can understand if he's on the other side, that's when he got the warning initially,he was on the other side of the court. But he was on the same side of the court now. Not sure that would bother Kypson."

But some more chatter before the next point changed their minds. "This is a different story," Koenig said. Perera added: "Kypson just had to abort a ball toss because of the chatter there."

Tsitsipas quickly put the penalty behind him and came through in a final-set tiebreak to claim a 3-6 7-6(6) 7-6(4) comeback victory. It's his first match win in more than a month and his first win on the clay this year, ending a three-match losing run.

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