Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has once again found himself embroiled in controversy over his on-court antics. While Kyrgios has made a name for himself as a ‘tantrum thrower’, tennis pros have said there’s no denying his talent – it’s his attitude that needs work.
The 23-year-old was unapologetic after a series of expletive-ridden rants towards the the end of his match with Britain’s Kyle Edmund at Queen’s Club in London on Thursday.
Kyrgios said he “didn’t care” the BBC, who was broadcasting the match live, had to repeatedly apologise for his bad language during the heated match.
Kyrgios fired 32 aces in a 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 triumph over Edmund, but as he battled it out on the grass court, he was heard swearing at his player’s box in frustration.
When he was later informed at his post-match press conference that the BBC had to apologise on-air for his language, an unfazed Kyrgios said: “Fine. I don’t care,” the ABC reported.
He then asked a reporter who pressed him on the outburst: “No, do you swear? Yes or no? Yes or no? Do you swear? Do you swear?”
There’s no denying that the last few years have been tough for the controversial tennis player. Back in 2017, Kyrgios announced that he won’t be returning to the sport that made him a household name until he’d had time to recover from on on-going hip injury.
He then pulled out of an opening round at the Shanghai Masters, with many calling for the player to be suspended from the game. He was fined $10,000 for walking off the court during the game and stripped of the $21,085 be was meant to earn in prize money.
Just a year earlier at the same event, Kyrgios was also fined and suspended for abusing a spectator and for purposely throwing a match.
Read more: Nick Kyrgios to pay dearly for his actions
Despite his hot temper though, tennis pros agree that Kyrgios is one of the best natural talents Australia has ever seen and that if he learns to control his mental game, he could be one of the greats.
Kyrgios lost to world champion Roger Federer in a tight semi-final at the Stuttgart Open last week. He will next face defending champion Feliciano Lopez in Friday’s quarter finals.