Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios once made headlines for his inappropriate behavior, at the Rogers Cup match in Montreal against then World No.5 Stan Wawrinka.
It was the second-round match at the 2015 Montreal Masters when Nick Kyrgios was caught on an on-court microphone making a disrespectful comment about Wawrinka’s personal life, implying that fellow Australian tennis player Thanasi Kokkinakis had a romantic involvement with Wawrinka’s girlfriend.
“Kokkinakis banged yur girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that mate.”
-Nick Kyrgios during match
Kyrgios was believed to have referred to Croatian player Donna Vekic, who was romantically linked to Wawrinka. Despite the controversy, Kyrgios went on to win the match as Wawrinka retired with a back injury in the final set.
In the post-match interview, Kyrgios explained that he made the comment in the heat of the moment, claiming that Wawrinka had been confrontational during the match.
“He was getting a bit lippy with me. Kind of in the heat of the moment, I don’t know. I just said it.”
-Nick Kyrgios in an interview
Wawrinka, unaware of the remark at the time, later expressed displeasure on Twitter and called for significant measures to be taken against Kyrgios by the ATP. He also criticized Kyrgios for consistently displaying poor behavior on and off the court toward other players and officials.
“I just hope the ATP takes big measures against him. He’s young but that’s no excuse…every match he behaves very badly.”
“The problem is he doesn’t just behave badly towards himself, he behaves badly towards the people around, the other players, the ball kids, the umpires. I really hope the ATP will take major action against him this time.”
–Stan Wawrinka in an interview
Nick Kyrgios shuts down retirement rumors and affirms determination for comeback
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, currently at the Australian Open, has refuted retirement rumors, dismissing them as “absolute nonsense.” The 28-year-old clarified that he is not planning to step away from tennis and remains as hungry as ever to continue competing.
Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon Open finalist, has been sidelined due to injuries, playing only one match since the beginning of the previous year. While working as a commentator for Eurosport during his rehabilitation, he expressed being at a “crossroads” in his career and considering options beyond tennis. Kyrgios emphasized that he is not retiring and is committed to returning to the court soon.
“Please don’t spread this garbage. I am coming back and will be lighting up the courts soon. I have woken up today and realised about some articles going around and saying that I am retired and that I am not going to play anymore. I just want to clear it up, it’s absolute nonsense.”
-Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open
