Nick Kyrgios admits throwing matches and flags shock early retirement
Nick Kyrgios admits THROWING tennis matches because his basketball team lost and says he could retire in two years as Aussie reveals he’s desperate to get home to see his sick mother
- Kyrgios is a die-hard fan of the Boston Celtics who recently lost to the Warriors in the NBA finals
- Now the polarising Aussie has admitted to tanking in matches because he got cranky when they lost
- Kyrgios has signalled his plans for retirement in two to three years, worried over his mother’s health
- For updates on all today’s tennis news visit MailOnline’s Wimbledon LIVE BLOG
Nick Kyrgios might have been on his best behaviour on-court in round two of Wimbledon, but he saved his fireworks for later when he admitted to throwing tennis matches when his basketball side lost and revealed that early retirement could be just around the corner.
The Aussie tennis firebrand has long been known for his love of basketball, appearing in NBA events and recently making headlines for his over-competitive antics lining up in a celebrity all-star game in Australia.
Kyrgios is a diehard Boston Celtics fan and was left shattered when they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the recent NBA Finals.
Nick Kyrgios talkin’ Boston Celtics & Allen Iverson = 👨🏻🍳😙
On Thursday he told The Tennis Channel that he had intentionally lost tennis matches in the past because he was so cranky that his Celtics had lost.
‘I’ve literally thrown tennis matches if they’ve lost in like, double overtime,’ he said.
‘If someone plays me and they know the Celtics have lost, that’s your chance. That is for sure your chance, to play me on that day.
‘Unlucky for Stef [Kyrgios’ next opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas], the [NBA] season is over.
‘I literally watch like live streams, everything. I barely miss a game and if they lose I am in a pretty bad mood.’
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdZWvKEPveA/
A post shared by Nick Kyrgios (@k1ngkyrg1os)
Kyrgios introducing his tennis racket to the ground might be a thing of the in near the future, with the Aussie star confirming that this year’s appearance at the annual Laver Cup will be his final one as he prepares for an early retirement
Kyrgios’ comments came after he confirmed that his days on the ATP tour are limited and he could retire from the sport in as little as two years.
The Aussie sat out the European clay court season and said that Wimbledon is likely to be his last event for the year, outside of a final appearance at the annual Europe versus The World Laver Cup tournament.
‘Definitely this is my last event of the year [outside of Laver Cup],’ he said.
‘I don’t know how much longer I will be around tennis.
‘I’m not going to lie, I think this is my last year I will probably play Laver Cup. There’s an amazing amount of talent around the world.
‘As long as I’m on the court, I will try and give my best, but I’m not going to lie and say that I’m going to plan to play four, five more years on tour. That’s just not me.’
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios applauds the spectators following victory during his second round match against Filip Krajinovic. He has now revealed he could be waving goodbye to the sport in as little as two years
Kyrgios’ revealed that his mother Norlaila ‘Nill’ Kyrgios was unwell and he wanted to spend time with her. His brother Christos said she had been suffering from heart problems in recent years which is why she couldn’t cheer her son on at the Australian Open.
‘I need to go back home. I’ve been travelling for four and a half months now. My mum is not doing too well with her health. I’d like to go back and see her,’ Kyrgios said.
‘I’m not one of those players that’s going to go hunting for points or hunting for accolades. I feel like I’ve got nothing left to prove to myself. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved.
‘Obviously, I’ll get my body right and I’ll start my pre-season, spend time with my family for the Australian Open, and then go from there.’
Kyrgios, his manager John Morris and his mother Norlaila Kyrgios look on during a practice session ahead of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park
The bad boy of tennis also told a post-match interviewer, ‘I just want to remind everyone that I’m pretty good’ as he celebrated an assured three-sets victory in the second round of Wimbledon.
The Australian, 27, thrashed Serb Filip Krajinović in an hour and 25 minutes in a dominant performance on Court Number 2 – where he was playing after being banned from Centre Court for spitting towards a spectator.
Although Kyrgios remained relatively calm throughout his 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 victory, he had a minor outburst when Krajinovic tried to challenge a call on the tram lines after the game had been called by the umpire.
‘You cannot challenge that!’ he bellowed.
With his new girlfriend, Costeen Hatzi, 22, watching from the stands, he also snapped at one person in the crowd for coughing, suggesting it was an attempt to distract him.
‘You want to cough before my serve? I don’t understand, it’s happened three times,’ he said.
Despite his complaints about the partisan crowd during Tuesday’s match against Britain’s Paul Jubb, Kyrgios today had the spectators on side – with claps and cheers greeting his win.
During the second set, he turned entertainer with a shot through his legs when a simpler shot would have sealed the advantage – delighting the crowd but leading to criticism from commentator Todd Woodbridge.
Nick Kyrgios in action today. He had a minor outburst came when Krajinovic tried to challenge a call on the tram lines after game had been called by the umpire
With his girlfriend, Costeen Hatzi, 22, watching from the stands (pictured), he also snapped at one person in the crowd for coughing, suggesting it was an attempt to distract him
Ms Hatzi (second from left) raises to her feet to applaud her boyfriend during his dominant performance at Wimbledon today
‘You cannot challenge that!’, the Australian said to the umpire when his opponent sought to challenge a line call after the end of a game
At one point, Kyrgios turned entertainer with a shot through his legs when a simpler shot would have sealed the advantage – delighting the crowd but leading to criticism from commentator Todd Woodbridge
Today’s performance contrasted to Kyrgios’ extraordinary first round game, which saw him spit in the direction of a spectator and shout abuse at line judges.
He dubbed one ‘a snitch with no fans’ for reporting his antics and claimed another ‘can’t see the ball’ during his win over Jubb.
He is yet to be handed a punishment for the incident, but will cop a hefty fine along with being booted to the All England Club’s outside courts, News Corp reported.
The Aussie later sparked further controversy for eating sushi during a post-match press conference, with many tennis fans accusing him of being disrespectful.
‘You are disrespectful for eating whilst being interviewed; you need to get some respect,’ one said.
‘Nick Kyrgios saying he doesn’t want people to disrespect him whilst spitting at people, calling line judges ‘old man’ and then sitting through a press conference eating,’ wrote another.
The 2022 Australian Open doubles champion said he spat towards a spectator who was disrespecting him and hurling unnecessary abuse at the player.
‘Just pure disrespect, just anything. Someone just yelled out I was s**t in the crowd today. Is that normal? No. I just don’t understand why it’s happening over and over again,’ Kyrgios said.
‘Have you ever gone to a supermarket and just started berating someone scanning the groceries? No. So why do they do it when I’m at Wimbledon? Why is that?’
TV commentators felt Kyrgios could be set for a semi-final appearance at Wimbledon this year, with Stefanos Tsitsipas appearing to be his main challenger
Kyrgios was heavily criticised for spitting in the direction of a spectator at Wimbledon during his match on Tuesday
IAN HERBERT ON COURT 2: ‘Good game the other day’ – says Kyrgios to ‘mature’ line judge he abused during his first round
‘Good game the other day,’ Nick Kyrgios observed to a line judge of more mature years as he attempted to take his tennis game into Wimbledon’s 3rd Round.
This was no casual court-side encounter. The grey-haired official was one of those subjected to some of worst of the Australian’s ire during his three hours of personalised abuse in his victory over Britain’s Paul Jubb on Tuesday.
The man in question didn’t seem sure what to make of the comment, though the spectators at that side of the court laughed. The choice of judging personnel was welcome evidence that the All England club are not in the business of placating difficult players.
Fleetingly, in the course of a brutal 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 dismantling of Serbian Filip Krajinovic, there were signs of Kyrgios’ thin skin. ‘Do you want to cough before I serve?’ he asked one spectator, who had done so just before he missed a first serve. ‘Now is when you cough’ he continued, after winning that point.
Despite his complaints about the partisan crowd during Tuesday’s match against Britain’s Paul Jubb, Kyrgios was today treated to a friendly welcome – with claps and cheers greeting his winners
It really doesn’t take much to cause offence. But his latest appearance was the story of the other Kyrgios and how his extraordinary tennis game can take him deep into this tournament, if he can only find the temperament.
It was a performance of brutal serving, in which Krajinovic took 37 minutes to win a single point from the Australian’s delivery. The first two sets were wrapped up in 58 minutes, at which stage he had sent down 17 aces.
Some of the line calls will have done nothing to quell Kyrgios’ insistence that judges like ‘the old man’ who so infuriated him two days ago should not be here. One of the calls he challenged – a service pronounced out on the left hand service box at the start of the second set – was corrected.
He was also disgruntled when Krajinovic challenged a call at the end of the first set, when the point and the set had just been called for him. ‘You can’t challenge that. You called it game already,’ he said.
But his dominance was so absolute that he breezed through, nodding in agreement and declaring ‘yes’ when Krajinovic challenged another call, and observing ‘good shot’ when it was resolved in his favour.
Kyrgios enjoyed eased past Krajinović today in a tennis masterclass – with the Australian adopting a far calmer demeanour than in his first round game
Perhaps it also helped that there was a more voluble Aussie contingent here, even though the noticeable absence if a yellow army seems part of the story of lower crowds and more empty seats here this year. But the blend of touch and power demonstrated did most to cohere and calm the inner mind. This is why he has twice defeated Novak Djokovic.
The drop shot was deployed in abundance and the power on the forehand side quite brutal as he took the first set in 26 minutes. The first point dropped on serve – a netted backhand volley – came in the third game of the second set.
Kyrgios directed a hard stare in the direction of a spectator who popped a cork as he prepared to receive serve in the third. But the unwelcome interruptions could not deter him. A magisterial whipped pass down the forehand side ensued from the baseline as Krajinovic made one of many forlorn advances to the net. Then, the second of two ‘tweener’ shots – despatched between his legs. For the record, neither of the trick shots was successful.
A double-handed punched backhand volley wrapped things up. ‘I was in my zone. Good body language,’ Kyrgios then reflected, courtside. He declared – deadpan: ‘I just want to remind everyone that I’m pretty good.’
What’s it like inside the mind of Nick Kyrgios?’, the interviewer boldly and rather bravely asked him. ‘I’m just happy,’ he said. ‘I think this is my best chance to win a Grand Slam of all four.’ No-one knows which Kyrgios will turn up but this version could go a long way here.
Demanding a BEER on court, mimicking a sex act, trying to hit Rafael Nadal and partying ahead of a Wimbledon exit… Nick Kyrgios’ most outrageous moments both on and off the court after calling an umpire ‘an absolute CLOWN’
By Charlotte Daly for MailOnline
Slating the music at the Australian Open in 2016
The 2016 Australian Open was a bit of a disaster for Kyrgios. He complained about the music, swore excessively and threw his racket across the court during his loss to Tomas Berdych.
Berdych took the first set in 35 minutes, with Kyrgios appearing to complain towards his box – which contained Aussie great Lleyton Hewitt – that there was not enough vocal encouragement.
However, the most notable moment of the match came when Kyrgios stepped up to the line to serve in the second set. He stopped to complain about music he could hear, which is understood to have come from the neighbouring MCG which was hosting cricket’s Big Bash League semi-final.
The 2016 Australian Open was a disaster for Kyrgios – who complained about everything
If that wasn’t enough, Kyrgios then engaged in a heated exchange with British umpire James Keothavong. Their conversation was picked up by the courtside microphones and it’s safe to say it didn’t shower Kyrgios in glory.
He said: ‘Mate, are you OK? There’s music playing in the crowd while we are playing. I’ve told you seven times. Am I hearing things? Am I hearing things? Mate, it’s a circus.’
Berdych then served out for a two-set lead as Kyrgios continued to moan as he sat down on his courtside chair, muttering: ‘It’s a f****** joke.’
Kyrgios went on to lose the match 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 and criticise the chair umpire further – saying ‘you’re a terrible referee’ as he walked off the court.
He complained about the music, swore excessively, fought with the chair umpire and threw his racket across the court during his loss to Tomas Berdych
Throwing a tantrum over the colour of his towel
You never quite know which Kyrgios will be turning up on court. He can either be fun and playful or aggressive and short tempered. Unfortunately for the staff at the 2019 Rogers Cup, it was the latter.
During his clash with Kyle Edmund, Kyrgios demanded that he was given a white towel, as opposed to a tournament-branded one. (Talk about being a diva!)
The 26-year-old refused to take part in the match until he was presented with a pristine new towel and caused quite the fuss on court while he waited.
‘I just want to know why it took you so long to get a white towel,’ Kyrgios asked officials. ‘Took you 20 minutes for this one. 20 minutes. Oh, you brought me two. Thanks.’
During his clash with Kyle Edmund, Kyrgios demanded that he was given a white towel
Caught out partying prior to his Wimbledon 2019 exit
Kyrgios has always been known for his controversial antics on court, but this incident questioned his decision-making off the court.
The Australian bad boy of tennis was seen at the Dog & Fox Pub in Wimbledon until around 11pm the night before his second-round match with Rafael Nadal in 2019.
Kyrgios was seen socialising with friends and chatting to girls at the pub on the Wednesday evening, according to sports commentator Miguel Seabra.
He wrote: ‘I just had a toast with Nick Kyrgios at the Dog & Fox. He is completely relaxed, laughing with friends, chatting with girls, drinking.
‘Quite an unorthodox preparation for tomorrow’s blockbuster, uh? I like it.’
It comes a no surprise that Kyrgios crashed out of the tournament. However, instead of reflecting on his defeat…the Australian bad-boy headed straight back to the pub to wash away his misery.
Demanding a beer on court at the 2017 French Open
Kyrgios crashed out of the 2017 French Open in spectacular form, smashing two racquets and asking for a beer mid-match.
The Australian star bombed out of the season’s second Grand slam in Paris with a 5-7 6-4 6-1 6-2 second-round loss to South African star Kevin Anderson.
Kyrgios was visibly frustrated during the match and even asked a spectator to get him a beer after losing serve in the fourth set.
‘Get me a beer now. Honest to God, get me one now,’ he said. A spectator responded: ‘You’re kidding.’ Kyrgios said: ‘I don’t think so.’
Kyrgios entered the tournament under a fitness cloud – and hip and shoulder niggles undoubtedly contributed to his demise as the then-22-year-old coughed up an uncharacteristic nine double-faults in the four-set defeat.
Additionally, Kyrgios had just lost his Grandpa – making it somewhat of an emotional torment for more reasons than one.
Kyrgios crashed out of the 2017 French Open in spectacular form after smashing two rackets
The ‘bad-boy’ also asked a spectator to get him a beer after losing serve in the fourth set
Blaming his defeat on a ‘hot chick’ in the stands
Kyrgios is known for interacting with the crowd while on court. However, it never normally impacts his performance.
The Australian bad-boy joked he had lost concentration during his 2019 Laver Cup defeat by Rodger Federer because he had spotted a ‘really hot chick in the crowd’.
The controversial 26-year-old was unable to hold off a rousing comeback from the Swiss great in Geneva, eventually being overcome 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 10-7 after one hour and 51 minutes.
Kyrgios gave an amusing post-match interview after he had informed his team of the reason behind his poor performance.
He could be heard saying: ‘I lost concentration, I saw a really hot chick in the crowd. Like, I’m being genuinely honest – I’d marry her right now. Right now.’
Kyrgios joked he had lost concentration as he had spotted a ‘really hot chick in the crowd’
Kyrgios could be heard explaining the reason behind his poor patch to his team on the bench
Throwing a chair at the Italian Open in 2019
The day after giving an explosive interview in which he admitted he ‘can’t stand’ the ‘cringeworthy’ Novak Djokovic, Kyrgios was guilty of one of his worst meltdown’s to date.
He hurled a chair onto the court at the 2019 Italian Open and kicked a bottle during an extraordinary outburst. His actions overshadowed iconic moments such as Jo Konta claiming back-to-back victories over Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens to reach the quarter finals.
Kyrgios was issued with a fine of £17,000 after losing the plot against Norway’s Casper Ruud when he was given a game penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Playing on a noisy outside court at the Foro Italico, Kyrgios was triggered by the crowd and became involved in an exchange with officials after being made to forfeit a game to go 2-1 down in the decider.
Having angrily hurled his racket to the floor he threw the fold-up chair onto the playing surface and then went into an expletive-filled rant, shouting at the chair: ‘I am giving 100 per cent to deal with f****** idiots like him, I’m done. I’m f****** done. I’m f****** done with it. I don’t give a f***.’
He then put his bag over his shoulder and walked off court of his own accord, but was officially defaulted from the match.
Kyrgios lost his temper at the 2019 Italian Open, smashing his racket and kicking a water bottle
Kyrgios then picked up a seat from courtside and hurled that into the centre of the court
Telling Stan Wawrinka a friend ‘banged his girlfriend’
Kyrgios got himself into hot water once again after brutally trash-talking his Swiss opponent, Stan Wawrinka, during a second-round clash at the 2015 Montreal Masters.
In a remark picked up by a courtside microphone, Kyrgios told third-seeded Wawrinka that a teenage Australian player, Thanasi Kokkinakis, slept with his girlfriend.
‘Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend,’ he said, midway through the second set. ‘Sorry to tell you that, mate’.
Kyrgios was referring to his Davis Cup team-mate Kokkinakis, while Wawrinka was romantically linked with Donna Vekic.
Wawrinka, who was the reigning Australian and French Open champion, was not happy with Kyrgios and took to Twitter after the match to condemn his actions.
He said: ‘So disappointing to see a fellow athlete and colleague be so disrespectful in a way could never even imagine. To [stoop] so low is not only unacceptable but also beyond belief’.
As a result of his questionable court-etiquette, Kyrgios was fined £10,000 and handed a 28-day suspended sentence.
Abusing hecklers and calling out Ben Stiller
Kyrgios lost to the 2022 Australian Open champion Nadal in a three-set thriller at Indian Wells. He was beaten 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-4 to end an extraordinary tournament.
However, it was Kyrgios’ tantrum that caught everyone’s attention. Kyrgios’ most memorable outburst of the match came when he singled out Ben Stiller – who was watching from the stands with wife Christine Taylor – to deal with a heckler.
The extraordinary exchange went like this:
Kyrgios: ‘Are you good at tennis?’
Heckler: ‘No.’
Kyrgios: ‘Exactly, so don’t tell me how to play. [Pointing at Stiller and his wife who were sitting nearby] Do I tell him how to act? No.’
Kyrgios stopped his service to address a heckler in the stands during the third and final set at Indian Wells
Actor Ben Still and wife Christine Taylor found the funny side of Kyrgios’ antics after being drawn into his tirade at a heckler in the crowd
Dropping F-bomb after beating Ruud at Indian Wells
Kyrgios has had a long-standing rivalry with Casper Ruud – having previously defaulted from the the Italian Open in 2019 for throwing a chair onto the court in the final set of their clash.
Kyrgios ensured that he got the last laugh over Ruud in March 2022 – defeating the 23-year-old 6-4 ,6-4 in a ruthless performance to advance in California.
The Australian went on to taunt his opponent after emerging victorious. He was filmed saying: ‘I hear no talking now. I hear no talking now. None. F***ing none.’
However, Kyrgios later took to Instagram to apologise for his comments – admitting that emotions got the better of him during the match.
Kyrgios launched the F-bomb at old rival Casper Ruud after his win earlier this month
Kyrgios looked down the camera lens and said ‘I hear no talking now’ after his superb victory
Outburst at the chair umpire Fergus Murphy in 2019
He just can’t help himself can he? Kyrgios was fined £98,904 for smashing two racquets and calling the chair umpire a ‘f**king tool at the Cincinnati Masters in 2019.
The ATP announced the penalties on the day after the tennis bad-boy berated chair umpire Fergus Murphy during a straight sets loss to Karen Khachanov.
The ATP listed a breakdown of eight fines ranging from £2,282 to £15,216 each for violations such as unsportsmanlike conduct, verbal abuse and audible obscenity.
Kyrgios (right) was fined £98,904 for smashing two racquets and calling the chair umpire (left) a ‘f**king tool at the Cincinnati Masters in 2019
Mimicking a lewd sex act at Queen’s, 2018
You think Kyrgios would know by now that cameras are everywhere at these sort of events!
The 26-year-old was caught mimicking a crude sex act with a water bottle during a break in games at the Marin Cilic at Queen’s.
The live footage of what he thought was a private moment between himself and his player’s box was broadcast to homes across the world.
Kyrgios held his drink bottle towards his groin and appeared to pretend to masturbate.
After playing around with his drink bottle he then finished off by spraying water onto the ground and taking a sip before sharing a cheeky grin. He was fined £13,000.
Earlier in the week he shouted out ‘f***’ during his match against Kyle Edmund, forcing BBC commentary to apologise for the foul language.
His response when it was raised afterwards? ‘Fine. I don’t care’.
Kyrgios was caught on live TV mimicking a lewd sex act with a water bottle at Queen’s
Refusing to try at Shanghai, 2016
Accusations of tanking have followed Kyrgios throughout his career. He was booed at Wimbledon in 2015 for a lack of effort in returning serves from Richard Gasquet.
Fans hoped their furious reaction would teach Kyrgios a lesson, but it seemed to do little good as he did not return shots and served without effort at the Shanghai Masters just one year later.
At one point he patted a serve over the net and at another he was walking off court before his opponent, Mischa Zverev, had returned the ball.
When told to act professionally by umpire Ali Nili after swearing, he responded: ‘Can you call time so I can finish this match and go home?’.
Kyrgios was issued with a three-month ban and a £20,500 fine but he made no apologies for his conduct after the match, even taking aim at the fans.
‘I don’t owe them [the fans] anything. It’s my choice. If you don’t like it, I didn’t ask you to come watch. Just leave. You want to buy a ticket? Come watch me.
‘You know I’m unpredictable. It’s your choice. I don’t owe you anything. Doesn’t affect how I sleep at night.’
Against Mischa Zverev in Shanghai in 2016 Kyrgios refused to serve properly or return shots
He was even seen walking off the court before Zverev had returned his serve to win the point
Taking a phone call on court at Australian Open, 2016
Before a mixed doubles match in Melbourne five years ago Kyrgios answered a phone call as he sat down with partner Ajla Tomljanovic.
He could have let it go to voicemail. He could have switched it off. He could have left it in the locker room. But no, he decided to answer it on court.
For once Kyrgios escaped punishment, but eyebrows were still raised after this indiscretion, with many questioning his professionalism and commitment to the sport.
Officials investigated the incident, which had left Tomljanovic thoroughly bemused, but he avoided sanction because it was pre-match.
‘Some of my friends called me,’ Kyrgios said. When asked if it was something important, he replied: ‘Kind of, not really’.
Kyrgios took a phone call from a friend before a mixed doubles match in Melbourne in 2016
Pelting a tennis racket at ball boy
Kyrgios’ gags are usually harmless but he came extremely close to causing some serious damage when he lost his temper at Indian Wells in March 2022.
Kyrgios was forced to apologies to the ball boy he nearly hit with a tennis racket after his quarterfinal defeat to Rafa Nadal. The Aussie star fell 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-4 and lost his temper immediately after the match.
He launched his racket at the wall of the arena – leaving ball boy Tei Park ducking for cover. Overnight, Kyrgios sheepishly took to Instagram to find out the identity of the ball boy and apologise.
Sharing a post to his story, Kyrgios said: ‘I just want to apologise to that ball kid at the end of the match.
‘It was a complete accident and was frustrated at the end of the match. My racket took a crazy bounce and was never my intention. If anyone knows who that ball kid is, send me a message and I will send a racket to him. I’m glad he’s OK!’
Kyrgios was forced to apologies to the ball boy he nearly hit with a tennis racket after his quarter-final defeat to Rafa Nadal at Indian Wells 2022
Purposefully aims a ball at Rafael Nadal
Kyrgios confessed he was aiming to hit Nadal with the ball during their second-round match at Wimbledon in 2019. The Australian even refused to apologise for deliberately thrashing a forehand directly at his opponent in their ill-tempered grudge match at Wimbledon.
The tennis bad-boy admitted he was ‘going for him’ and told a press conference after his four set defeat: ‘I wanted to hit him square in the chest.’
He said: ‘I don’t care. Why would I apologise? I mean, the dude has got how many slams, how much money in the bank account? I think he can take a ball to the chest. I’m not going to apologise to him at all.’
His confession has sparked an angry backlash on social media, with fans calling for the ‘spoiled brat’ to be fined or ‘banned’ from the sport.
Kyrgios said he was aiming to hit Nadal with the ball during their 2019 clash at Wimbledon
The Spaniard (furthest away) managed to stop the ball from hitting his body with his racquet
Ignoring questions and chugging a Stella Artois
Kyrgios showcased his bizarre behaviour once again during a press conference 2019. He ignored a reporter’s question in favour of drinking a beer.
Kyrgios had been playing for Team World who lost to Team Europe during the Laver Cup in Geneva, Switzerland.
After the final tie between Milos Raonic and Alexander Zverev, Kyrgios attended a press conference joined by team captain and US tennis legend John McEnroe.
Kyrgios was angry about a question regarding his loss to Roger Federer during the competition and opted to drink he beer rather than answer.
However, when promoted, he said: ‘Probably just had to do with something that I was playing someone that’s probably the best to ever play the sport.
‘I don’t think it was a lack of shot selection or lack of discipline or lack of power or lack of anything. I think the guy I was playing was just pretty good. Don’t you think so? Yeah. It’s a pretty bad question, to be honest.’
He decided to chug a beer over answering a reporter’s question during a press conference
Brands Bernard Tomic ‘dumb’ and ‘irrelevant’ in long-running feud – as rival challenges him to a boxing match
Last month Kyrgios poured cold water on a potential boxing bout with arch rival Bernard Tomic, insisting he has ‘bigger fish to fry’ than taking on the ‘dead broke’ World No 417.
The Australian tennis duo have been embroiled in a war of words for years and their feud escalated even further last month after Kyrgios labelled Tomic ‘the most hated athlete in Australia’.
Tomic, 29, responded by challenging Kyrgios, 27, to a one-off battle on the grass court, with each player stumping up $1million in a winner-takes-all clash.
The 29-year-old then changed the arena of their battle to the boxing ring, demanding that they ‘sort this out as men’.
Yet Kyrgios has distanced himself from a boxing debut, with the Canberra-born star expressing sympathy for Tomic, who in 2016 reached a career-high ranking of No 17.
‘He’s not very good anymore, he’s not relevant anymore, and he’s obviously got money issues,’ Kyrgios told the Courier Mail.
‘For someone who actually tried to stand up for him before and tried to help him out, like my family’s helped him out before, I paid for his flights back home from Shanghai because he had no money. So for him to come out and attack is extremely disrespectful I think.
‘When he’s challenging me for boxing matches – like first of all, I don’t know who’s going to put up $1 million for him because he’s dead broke. Second of all, I have bigger fish to fry at the moment. I’m trying to get ready for Wimbledon. US Open. I’ve got off court contracts, tournaments still pay me to show up.
‘And I don’t think that’s happening for him at the moment. But maybe one day, I would love to challenge him in there. I feel like I’ve got him on fitness.’
Tomic has rubbished Kyrgios’ claims.
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