Roger Federer has warned controversial Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios to slow down following his latest foul-mouthed rant during his US Open match against Moldovan player Radu Albot.
Known for his on-court meltdowns, Kyrgios, 23, regularly sparks debate thanks to his bizarre outbursts. Now, he’s once again shocked spectators as he took on Albot on Wednesday and appeared to struggle heavily with the searing heat in New York.
According to multiple reports, at one point he turned to his supporters’ box and said: “I’m f***ed, my legs are f***ed. I’m cooked, I’m f***ing done. I can’t play.”
However, his mood shifted to major highs too as he also broke into song at another point in the match, singing along to Lenny Kravitz’s ‘Fly Away’ as it played out at the Louis Armstrong Stadium during the end of the second set.
Attempting to explain the bizarre antics afterwards, the Mail Online claims he told reporters they help keep him relaxed. Despite his fatigue and over-heating, Kyrgios won after pulling through 7-5 2-6 6-4 6-2.
Now, long-time tennis pro Federer, 37, has weighed in on the debate over the controversial player, insisting while many players enjoy the fun on court – including himself – most drop their wild antics after their teenage years and calm down from there . However, he believes Kyrgios has got “more extreme”.
“I think he finds it hard to not do any of those tricks,” Federer said on ESPN after his own first round victory. “Like myself, to some extent, we need the fun, we need the drop shot, we need some variation to everything, but he takes it to the next level.
“I get it, but it’s hard for him. At one point, you’d think that it has to slow down a little bit… Usually it happens after your teenage years are over, but it’s been a few years and it seems like it’s getting more and more extreme, which is quite interesting.”
However Federer insisted it wasn’t his job to speak to Kyrgios about this antics, and believes deep down that he knows he needs to make the change himself.
It comes after a series of scandals for the sportsman, who just months ago came under fire for a series of expletive-ridden rants at Queen’s Club in London. Kyrgios has made a name for himself as a ‘tantrum thrower’ over the years, and is regularly caught up in backlash over his on-camera antics.