For the past few weeks, Nick Kyrgios has been attempting to keep his head down and focus on tennis, but earlier today, he fired up during his loss to France’s Benoit Paire at the Japan Open, and was issued a code violation for his behaviour.
Commentators say Kyrgios was swearing “like a sailor” throughout the second set, and near its conclusion, he was caught on the microphone shouting “fuck me”.
Commentator Nick Lester, a former English player, apologised for the “naughty words” during the broadcast, and later took a crack at the 20-year-old’s game, calling it “pathetic.” Lester said:
“Nick Kyrgios rather imploded. It’s a shame. Just a shame from Kyrgios’ point of view that he wasn’t able to hang around in the third set and wasn’t able to stay with his man. He just kind of went away rather tamely. Let’s hope Lleyton Hewitt can install some grit because it’s required pretty urgently.”
Kyrgios had been on track to meet Stan Wawrinka, the target of his infamous sledge, in the semi-finals of the Japan Open, but this surely-explosive pairing was not to be, with Paire knocking him out 3-6 6-4 6-1.
The young Aussie went to water in the third set, which lasted a mere 23 minutes, and was given a code violation after hitting a ball into the roof of the indoor stadium.
Kyrgios was recently dropped from Australia’s Davis Cup semi-final team, and sits on shaky ground with the ATP, who have threatened him with fines and suspension if he commits any more verbal or physical abuse.
The ATP’s sanctions stay in effect until next February 24, and if Kyrgios abuses anybody in that time, or gets fines totalling more than $US 5000, he’ll be suspended for 28 days and fined a further $US 25,000.
via Fox Sports / News Corp
Photo: Atsushi Tomura via Getty Images
