Nick Kyrgios is a mercurial tennis player, both on and off the court. The Australian tennis star is often embroiled in controversy because of his antics. He has often gotten into trouble for letting his emotions run wild. He often argues with chair umpires and rival players. In a recent video posted by Wimbledon, Kyrgios can be seen eating sushi at a press conference prior to his match. It is highly unusual for any player in sports disciplines to eat at press conferences.
Wimbledon posted the video along with a cheeky caption: “No chopsticks for your sushi,
@NickKyrgios?”
No chopsticks for your sushi, @NickKyrgios† #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/0OtfS1mByX
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 29, 2022
Previously, Nick Kyrgios came out on top in a fiery Wimbledon five-setter on Tuesday, criticizing both the “disrespect” of fans and “90-year-old” officials before admitting to one of his tormentors in the crowd spat.
The Australian’s 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5 first round victory over British wildcard Paul Jubb showed his brutal decisiveness, garnering 30 aces and 67 winners.
But the dark side of the 27-year-old crowd favorite was also on display.
Already in the first set on a packed and rough Court Three, Kyrgios demanded that some fans be removed.
“There were a few people who weren’t shy about criticizing me – this one is for you,” said the 40th-ranked player. “You know who you are.”
At a later press conference, Kyrgios was jousting with reporters when he lashed out at the abuse he says he receives every day, both on and off the field.
“Just sheer disrespect, just everything,” said Kyrgios, revealing that one fan used an expletive to describe his game.
“Have you ever been to a supermarket and started yelling at someone who was scanning the groceries? No. So why do they do it when I’m at Wimbledon? Why is that?’
In his tantalizing press conference, Kyrgios himself was accused of disrespect for the linesmen.
He had heard that “90 year olds can’t see the ball”.
“No, I said most referees are older, and I just don’t think that’s ideal when you’re playing a sport with such small margins,” Kyrgios explained.
“Actually, younger people have better eyesight. If you’re playing a sport for hundreds and thousands of dollars, don’t you think we should have people who are really ready to call the ball in or out?
“I hit a ball in it. The old man cried out, it was in. So if the man was 40, he may not have cried out.”
In addition to his displeasure with some of the audience, Kyrgios also called a linesman “a fanless snitch.”
“I didn’t do anything and she went to the referee and told her something I didn’t say,” Kyrgios said.
“She thought it was relevant to go to the referee at 30 and make it about her.”
Kyrgios also admitted to spitting at a spectator while celebrating his win.
He said it was a conscious reaction.
‘Yes. I wouldn’t do that to someone who supported me.’
Kyrgios, who stunned Rafael Nadal en route to the quarter-finals of the All England Club in 2014, arrived at the tournament after semi-finals in grass court events in Stuttgart and Halle.
In Stuttgart, he claimed to have been racially abused.
“I have dealt with hatred and negativity for a long time,” he said on Tuesday.
promoted
“Some viewers think there’s just no line anymore. They can just say something and they film it and then they laugh about it.”
For AFP inputs
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