Is this the most unpleasant man in tennis? Pundits, players and celebs slam ‘Nasty Nick’ Kyrgios after latest stunt saw him SPIT in direction of abusive spectator and call line judge a ‘snitch with no fans’ – months after throwing racket at ballboy
Pundits, players and celebrities today slammed petulant ‘bad boy of tennis’ Nick Kyrgios after another extraordinary performance at Wimbledon which saw him spit in the direction of a fan, verbally abuse line judges and shovel down sushi during a press conference.
The Aussie, 27, called one line judge ‘a snitch with no fans’ for reporting his abuse and suggested another was in his 90s and ‘can’t see the ball’ during his five-set win over Britain’s Paul Jubb yesterday.
Today, a frustrated Kim Clijsters, who won four Grand Slam titles and climbed to world No.1, described Kyrgios’s antics as another backwards step for the world number 40.
‘I had the feeling these last few months that he was kind of maturing and he was showing that in his tennis, he was improving, he was purely focused on his tennis,’ the Belgian told Stan Sport’s Grand Slam Daily.
‘He feels like he’s being disrespected when he gets out there and it’s unfortunate that he takes it out like that, because he’s such a good player.
‘If he could just focus on his tennis part and put his energy into playing better – because he looks fitter, he seems kind of like he’s a bit more switched on, tennis wise, but it’s so unfortunate and it’s obviously something that you don’t do on a tennis court.’
Nick Kyrgios spat in the direction of a spectator at Wimbledon during his match against Britain’s Paul Jubb yesterday
The fiery star insists the spectator was present just to ‘stir up and disrespect’ during his match
It took just 12 minutes for Nick Kyrgios to kick off at Wimbledon on Tuesday afternoon
Her comments were echoed by former Australian tennis star Wally Masur, who said spitting on court was ‘not a good look’.
‘I hope there’s no vision of me spitting on a tennis court back in the day, because it’s not a good look.
‘I do remember Wimbledon one time having a sort of a mandate, no spitting please, but if it was in fact directed at someone, that’s not a good look at all and it’s something you would hope doesn’t happen again.’
Piers Morgan reacted to the scandal on Twitter, where he called the player a ‘d***’.
Former football manager Ian Holloway was also left outraged by Kyrgios’ behaviour, insisting he had ‘crossed the line too many times’.
‘You’ve got to sort that out because that is unacceptable,’ he told talkSPORT. ‘Does he want people to think he’s a horrible person? Because that’s what it looks like he is. Why would you be so disrespectful to people doing their job?
‘I wouldn’t put up with it. Spitting towards people? Aren’t they allowed to say what they feel? I’ve had it everywhere I go. You take the positives.
‘What does he want to be remembered for? Not being a very nice human being who behaves like that when he doesn’t get what he wants?’
Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan said: ‘Nick Kyrgios is a prodigious talent. But there is a reason why he’s never got into the top 10 players.
‘Some of the things he said in that press conference yesterday were quite contemptible. I like talented players but there is a line and I think Kyrgios crosses it.’
Kyrgios insisted his antics were a response to abuse from the crowd, but this excuse was dismissed by tennis presenter Catherine Whitaker.
Kyrgios unleashed on ‘disrespectful’ fans at Wimbledon in a fiery interview where he spent most of it shovelling down sushi
The 27-year-old was then heard hitting out at a female line judge because of her decision
Kyrgios asked whether anyone had attended Wimbledon on Tuesday to ‘see her speak’
‘Kyrgios started talking about how disrespectful they (the crowd) were. Then he bled into talking about the messages he receives on social media and how horrific they are,’ she told The Tennis Podcast.
‘He had some important things to say about that, it does sound horrific – tennis has a problem, the world has a problem with policing social media. Tennis players shouldn’t have to endure that nor should anyone it’s awful.
‘It really upsets me that he can’t make that point logically and sort of leave it there or let it lead to somewhere logical or interesting or productive.’
Harlequins player Joe Marler also weighed in by suggesting Kyrgios was guilty of hypocrisy.
‘If there was abuse then fine but you can’t fight fire with fire if he wants respect,’ he said.
‘If it was just fans booing or clapping then that’s the point of having fans!’
Kim Clijsters, who won four Grand Slam titles and climbed to world No.1, described Kyrgios’s antics as another backwards step for the world number 40
During his hard-fought victory against Jubb (3-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5), Kyrgios repeatedly snapped at the line judges, one of whom informed the umpire of his conduct, before he bizarrely accused her of lying.
In a rambling and often incoherent explanation, he said: ‘I didn’t do anything and she went to the umpire and told her something that I didn’t say. That’s called whistleblowing.’
He also claimed that line judges — who are put through regular sight tests by the All England Club — are too old.
He said: ‘I hit a ball in, the old man called it out, it was in. So arguably if the guy was 40, he may not have called that out.’
He then insisted he could not empathise with the line officials: ‘There’s hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line. Why would I have sympathy for that?’
Catcalling from fans followed, Kyrgios claimed it reflected social media abuse in ‘real life’ and said he had been entitled to spit. He added he had not been racially abused, despite giving the impression he had been.
The tension continued in his post-match interview, where he was bizarrely seen tucking into a box of sushi between answering questions.
‘A lot of disrespect was being thrown today from the crowds,’ he said having called for some fans to be removed as early as the first set.
‘I’m just starting to think that it’s normal when it’s really not.
‘I didn’t say anything to the crowd until they started just every time I came down to the far end, people just going. It’s just I don’t know if it’s normal or not.
‘Just pure disrespect, just anything. Someone just yelled out I was s**t in the crowd today. Is that normal? No. I just don’t understand why it’s happening over and over again.
‘Have you ever gone to a supermarket and just started berating someone scanning the groceries? No. So why do they do it when I’m at Wimbledon? Why is that?’.
The Australian bad-boy smashed a ball out of court 3 at Wimbledon after dropping his serve
Piers Morgan reacted to the scandal on Twitter, where he called Kyrgios a ‘d***’
Kyrgios with British rising star Paul Jubb at Wimbledon yesterday
Kyrgios added he was happy to play the villain and was later asked if his spitting towards a fan after match point was deliberate.
‘In the direction of one of the people disrespecting me, yes,’ he said.
‘I would not do that to someone who was supporting me.’
The tennis star was then questioned about why he’d taken aim at the line judges with a journalist saying Kyrgios was overhead remarking ‘you’re in your 90s, you can’t see the ball’.
The tennis star claimed he only said the umpires ‘are older’, and went into a rant about how younger people have better eyesight.
Kyrgios is pictured with his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi
‘Factually, people that are younger have better eyesight. Do you not think that’s appropriate?’ he hit back.
‘When you’re playing at a sport for hundreds and thousands of dollars, do you not think that we should have people that are really ready to call the ball in or out?’
The reporter responded that younger people don’t ‘necessarily’ have better eyesight, which only fired up Kyrgios more.
‘What do you mean not necessarily? What does he mean? What do you mean not necessarily? That specific thing, I hit a ball in, the old man called it out, it was in,’ Kyrgios said.
‘So arguably if the guy was 40, he may not have called that out.’
In another explosive moment in the match Kyrgios appeared to call a female lines judge a ‘snitch’ with ‘no fans’.
‘I didn’t do anything and she went to the umpire and told her something that I didn’t say,’ he said in the post-match interview.
‘She found it relevant to go to run to the umpire at 30-love and make it about her.’
Earlier on in the match Kyrgios fired a ball into the stands, earning him a ball abuse warning.
The match umpire will notify the Wimbledon Referees’ Office of any concerns. They will then consider whether to fine Kyrgios.
Demanding a BEER on court, mimicking a sex act, trying to hit Rafael Nadal and partying ahead of a Wimbledon exit… Nick Kyrgios’ most outrageous moments both on and off the court after calling an umpire ‘an absolute CLOWN’
By Charlotte Daly for MailOnline
Slating the music at the Australian Open in 2016
The 2016 Australian Open was a bit of a disaster for Kyrgios. He complained about the music, swore excessively and threw his racket across the court during his loss to Tomas Berdych.
Berdych took the first set in 35 minutes, with Kyrgios appearing to complain towards his box – which contained Aussie great Lleyton Hewitt – that there was not enough vocal encouragement.
However, the most notable moment of the match came when Kyrgios stepped up to the line to serve in the second set. He stopped to complain about music he could hear, which is understood to have come from the neighbouring MCG which was hosting cricket’s Big Bash League semi-final.
The 2016 Australian Open was a disaster for Kyrgios – who complained about everything
If that wasn’t enough, Kyrgios then engaged in a heated exchange with British umpire James Keothavong. Their conversation was picked up by the courtside microphones and it’s safe to say it didn’t shower Kyrgios in glory.
He said: ‘Mate, are you OK? There’s music playing in the crowd while we are playing. I’ve told you seven times. Am I hearing things? Am I hearing things? Mate, it’s a circus.’
Berdych then served out for a two-set lead as Kyrgios continued to moan as he sat down on his courtside chair, muttering: ‘It’s a f****** joke.’
Kyrgios went on to lose the match 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 and criticise the chair umpire further – saying ‘you’re a terrible referee’ as he walked off the court.
He complained about the music, swore excessively, fought with the chair umpire and threw his racket across the court during his loss to Tomas Berdych
Throwing a tantrum over the colour of his towel
You never quite know which Kyrgios will be turning up on court. He can either be fun and playful or aggressive and short tempered. Unfortunately for the staff at the 2019 Rogers Cup, it was the latter.
During his clash with Kyle Edmund, Kyrgios demanded that he was given a white towel, as opposed to a tournament-branded one. (Talk about being a diva!)
The 26-year-old refused to take part in the match until he was presented with a pristine new towel and caused quite the fuss on court while he waited.
‘I just want to know why it took you so long to get a white towel,’ Kyrgios asked officials. ‘Took you 20 minutes for this one. 20 minutes. Oh, you brought me two. Thanks.’
During his clash with Kyle Edmund, Kyrgios demanded that he was given a white towel
Caught out partying prior to his Wimbledon 2019 exit
Kyrgios has always been known for his controversial antics on court, but this incident questioned his decision-making off the court.
The Australian bad boy of tennis was seen at the Dog & Fox Pub in Wimbledon until around 11pm the night before his second-round match with Rafael Nadal in 2019.
Kyrgios was seen socialising with friends and chatting to girls at the pub on the Wednesday evening, according to sports commentator Miguel Seabra.
He wrote: ‘I just had a toast with Nick Kyrgios at the Dog & Fox. He is completely relaxed, laughing with friends, chatting with girls, drinking.
‘Quite an unorthodox preparation for tomorrow’s blockbuster, uh? I like it.’
It comes a no surprise that Kyrgios crashed out of the tournament. However, instead of reflecting on his defeat…the Australian bad-boy headed straight back to the pub to wash away his misery.
Demanding a beer on court at the 2017 French Open
Kyrgios crashed out of the 2017 French Open in spectacular form, smashing two racquets and asking for a beer mid-match.
The Australian star bombed out of the season’s second Grand slam in Paris with a 5-7 6-4 6-1 6-2 second-round loss to South African star Kevin Anderson.
Kyrgios was visibly frustrated during the match and even asked a spectator to get him a beer after losing serve in the fourth set.
‘Get me a beer now. Honest to God, get me one now,’ he said. A spectator responded: ‘You’re kidding.’ Kyrgios said: ‘I don’t think so.’
Kyrgios entered the tournament under a fitness cloud – and hip and shoulder niggles undoubtedly contributed to his demise as the then-22-year-old coughed up an uncharacteristic nine double-faults in the four-set defeat.
Additionally, Kyrgios had just lost his Grandpa – making it somewhat of an emotional torment for more reasons than one.
Kyrgios crashed out of the 2017 French Open in spectacular form after smashing two rackets
The ‘bad-boy’ also asked a spectator to get him a beer after losing serve in the fourth set
Blaming his defeat on a ‘hot chick’ in the stands
Kyrgios is known for interacting with the crowd while on court. However, it never normally impacts his performance.
The Australian bad-boy joked he had lost concentration during his 2019 Laver Cup defeat by Rodger Federer because he had spotted a ‘really hot chick in the crowd’.
The controversial 26-year-old was unable to hold off a rousing comeback from the Swiss great in Geneva, eventually being overcome 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 10-7 after one hour and 51 minutes.
Kyrgios gave an amusing post-match interview after he had informed his team of the reason behind his poor performance.
He could be heard saying: ‘I lost concentration, I saw a really hot chick in the crowd. Like, I’m being genuinely honest – I’d marry her right now. Right now.’
Kyrgios joked he had lost concentration as he had spotted a ‘really hot chick in the crowd’
Kyrgios could be heard explaining the reason behind his poor patch to his team on the bench
Throwing a chair at the Italian Open in 2019
The day after giving an explosive interview in which he admitted he ‘can’t stand’ the ‘cringeworthy’ Novak Djokovic, Kyrgios was guilty of one of his worst meltdown’s to date.
He hurled a chair onto the court at the 2019 Italian Open and kicked a bottle during an extraordinary outburst. His actions overshadowed iconic moments such as Jo Konta claiming back-to-back victories over Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens to reach the quarter finals.
Kyrgios was issued with a fine of £17,000 after losing the plot against Norway’s Casper Ruud when he was given a game penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Playing on a noisy outside court at the Foro Italico, Kyrgios was triggered by the crowd and became involved in an exchange with officials after being made to forfeit a game to go 2-1 down in the decider.
Having angrily hurled his racket to the floor he threw the fold-up chair onto the playing surface and then went into an expletive-filled rant, shouting at the chair: ‘I am giving 100 per cent to deal with f****** idiots like him, I’m done. I’m f****** done. I’m f****** done with it. I don’t give a f***.’
He then put his bag over his shoulder and walked off court of his own accord, but was officially defaulted from the match.
Kyrgios lost his temper at the 2019 Italian Open, smashing his racket and kicking a water bottle
Kyrgios then picked up a seat from courtside and hurled that into the centre of the court
Telling Stan Wawrinka a friend ‘banged his girlfriend’
Kyrgios got himself into hot water once again after brutally trash-talking his Swiss opponent, Stan Wawrinka, during a second-round clash at the 2015 Montreal Masters.
In a remark picked up by a courtside microphone, Kyrgios told third-seeded Wawrinka that a teenage Australian player, Thanasi Kokkinakis, slept with his girlfriend.
‘Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend,’ he said, midway through the second set. ‘Sorry to tell you that, mate’.
Kyrgios was referring to his Davis Cup team-mate Kokkinakis, while Wawrinka was romantically linked with Donna Vekic.
Wawrinka, who was the reigning Australian and French Open champion, was not happy with Kyrgios and took to Twitter after the match to condemn his actions.
He said: ‘So disappointing to see a fellow athlete and colleague be so disrespectful in a way could never even imagine. To [stoop] so low is not only unacceptable but also beyond belief’.
As a result of his questionable court-etiquette, Kyrgios was fined £10,000 and handed a 28-day suspended sentence.
Abusing hecklers and calling out Ben Stiller
Kyrgios lost to the 2022 Australian Open champion Nadal in a three-set thriller at Indian Wells. He was beaten 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-4 to end an extraordinary tournament.
However, it was Kyrgios’ tantrum that caught everyone’s attention. Kyrgios’ most memorable outburst of the match came when he singled out Ben Stiller – who was watching from the stands with wife Christine Taylor – to deal with a heckler.
The extraordinary exchange went like this:
Kyrgios: ‘Are you good at tennis?’
Heckler: ‘No.’
Kyrgios: ‘Exactly, so don’t tell me how to play. [Pointing at Stiller and his wife who were sitting nearby] Do I tell him how to act? No.’
Kyrgios stopped his service to address a heckler in the stands during the third and final set at Indian Wells
Actor Ben Still and wife Christine Taylor found the funny side of Kyrgios’ antics after being drawn into his tirade at a heckler in the crowd
Dropping F-bomb after beating Ruud at Indian Wells
Kyrgios has had a long-standing rivalry with Casper Ruud – having previously defaulted from the the Italian Open in 2019 for throwing a chair onto the court in the final set of their clash.
Kyrgios ensured that he got the last laugh over Ruud in March 2022 – defeating the 23-year-old 6-4 ,6-4 in a ruthless performance to advance in California.
The Australian went on to taunt his opponent after emerging victorious. He was filmed saying: ‘I hear no talking now. I hear no talking now. None. F***ing none.’
However, Kyrgios later took to Instagram to apologise for his comments – admitting that emotions got the better of him during the match.
Kyrgios launched the F-bomb at old rival Casper Ruud after his win earlier this month
Kyrgios looked down the camera lens and said ‘I hear no talking now’ after his superb victory
Outburst at the chair umpire Fergus Murphy in 2019
He just can’t help himself can he? Kyrgios was fined £98,904 for smashing two racquets and calling the chair umpire a ‘f**king tool at the Cincinnati Masters in 2019.
The ATP announced the penalties on the day after the tennis bad-boy berated chair umpire Fergus Murphy during a straight sets loss to Karen Khachanov.
The ATP listed a breakdown of eight fines ranging from £2,282 to £15,216 each for violations such as unsportsmanlike conduct, verbal abuse and audible obscenity.
Kyrgios (right) was fined £98,904 for smashing two racquets and calling the chair umpire (left) a ‘f**king tool at the Cincinnati Masters in 2019
Mimicking a lewd sex act at Queen’s, 2018
You think Kyrgios would know by now that cameras are everywhere at these sort of events!
The 26-year-old was caught mimicking a crude sex act with a water bottle during a break in games at the Marin Cilic at Queen’s.
The live footage of what he thought was a private moment between himself and his player’s box was broadcast to homes across the world.
Kyrgios held his drink bottle towards his groin and appeared to pretend to masturbate.
After playing around with his drink bottle he then finished off by spraying water onto the ground and taking a sip before sharing a cheeky grin. He was fined £13,000.
Earlier in the week he shouted out ‘f***’ during his match against Kyle Edmund, forcing BBC commentary to apologise for the foul language.
His response when it was raised afterwards? ‘Fine. I don’t care’.
Kyrgios was caught on live TV mimicking a lewd sex act with a water bottle at Queen’s
Refusing to try at Shanghai, 2016
Accusations of tanking have followed Kyrgios throughout his career. He was booed at Wimbledon in 2015 for a lack of effort in returning serves from Richard Gasquet.
Fans hoped their furious reaction would teach Kyrgios a lesson, but it seemed to do little good as he did not return shots and served without effort at the Shanghai Masters just one year later.
At one point he patted a serve over the net and at another he was walking off court before his opponent, Mischa Zverev, had returned the ball.
When told to act professionally by umpire Ali Nili after swearing, he responded: ‘Can you call time so I can finish this match and go home?’.
Kyrgios was issued with a three-month ban and a £20,500 fine but he made no apologies for his conduct after the match, even taking aim at the fans.
‘I don’t owe them [the fans] anything. It’s my choice. If you don’t like it, I didn’t ask you to come watch. Just leave. You want to buy a ticket? Come watch me.
‘You know I’m unpredictable. It’s your choice. I don’t owe you anything. Doesn’t affect how I sleep at night.’
Against Mischa Zverev in Shanghai in 2016 Kyrgios refused to serve properly or return shots
He was even seen walking off the court before Zverev had returned his serve to win the point
Taking a phone call on court at Australian Open, 2016
Before a mixed doubles match in Melbourne five years ago Kyrgios answered a phone call as he sat down with partner Ajla Tomljanovic.
He could have let it go to voicemail. He could have switched it off. He could have left it in the locker room. But no, he decided to answer it on court.
For once Kyrgios escaped punishment, but eyebrows were still raised after this indiscretion, with many questioning his professionalism and commitment to the sport.
Officials investigated the incident, which had left Tomljanovic thoroughly bemused, but he avoided sanction because it was pre-match.
‘Some of my friends called me,’ Kyrgios said. When asked if it was something important, he replied: ‘Kind of, not really’.
Kyrgios took a phone call from a friend before a mixed doubles match in Melbourne in 2016
Pelting a tennis racket at ball boy
Kyrgios’ gags are usually harmless but he came extremely close to causing some serious damage when he lost his temper at Indian Wells in March 2022.
Kyrgios was forced to apologies to the ball boy he nearly hit with a tennis racket after his quarterfinal defeat to Rafa Nadal. The Aussie star fell 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-4 and lost his temper immediately after the match.
He launched his racket at the wall of the arena – leaving ball boy Tei Park ducking for cover. Overnight, Kyrgios sheepishly took to Instagram to find out the identity of the ball boy and apologise.
Sharing a post to his story, Kyrgios said: ‘I just want to apologise to that ball kid at the end of the match.
‘It was a complete accident and was frustrated at the end of the match. My racket took a crazy bounce and was never my intention. If anyone knows who that ball kid is, send me a message and I will send a racket to him. I’m glad he’s OK!’
Kyrgios was forced to apologies to the ball boy he nearly hit with a tennis racket after his quarter-final defeat to Rafa Nadal at Indian Wells 2022
Purposefully aims a ball at Rafael Nadal
Kyrgios confessed he was aiming to hit Nadal with the ball during their second-round match at Wimbledon in 2019. The Australian even refused to apologise for deliberately thrashing a forehand directly at his opponent in their ill-tempered grudge match at Wimbledon.
The tennis bad-boy admitted he was ‘going for him’ and told a press conference after his four set defeat: ‘I wanted to hit him square in the chest.’
He said: ‘I don’t care. Why would I apologise? I mean, the dude has got how many slams, how much money in the bank account? I think he can take a ball to the chest. I’m not going to apologise to him at all.’
His confession has sparked an angry backlash on social media, with fans calling for the ‘spoiled brat’ to be fined or ‘banned’ from the sport.
Kyrgios said he was aiming to hit Nadal with the ball during their 2019 clash at Wimbledon
The Spaniard (furthest away) managed to stop the ball from hitting his body with his racquet
Ignoring questions and chugging a Stella Artois
Kyrgios showcased his bizarre behaviour once again during a press conference 2019. He ignored a reporter’s question in favour of drinking a beer.
Kyrgios had been playing for Team World who lost to Team Europe during the Laver Cup in Geneva, Switzerland.
After the final tie between Milos Raonic and Alexander Zverev, Kyrgios attended a press conference joined by team captain and US tennis legend John McEnroe.
Kyrgios was angry about a question regarding his loss to Roger Federer during the competition and opted to drink he beer rather than answer.
However, when promoted, he said: ‘Probably just had to do with something that I was playing someone that’s probably the best to ever play the sport.
‘I don’t think it was a lack of shot selection or lack of discipline or lack of power or lack of anything. I think the guy I was playing was just pretty good. Don’t you think so? Yeah. It’s a pretty bad question, to be honest.’
He decided to chug a beer over answering a reporter’s question during a press conference
Brands Bernard Tomic ‘dumb’ and ‘irrelevant’ in long-running feud – as rival challenges him to a boxing match
Last month Kyrgios poured cold water on a potential boxing bout with arch rival Bernard Tomic, insisting he has ‘bigger fish to fry’ than taking on the ‘dead broke’ World No 417.
The Australian tennis duo have been embroiled in a war of words for years and their feud escalated even further last month after Kyrgios labelled Tomic ‘the most hated athlete in Australia’.
Tomic, 29, responded by challenging Kyrgios, 27, to a one-off battle on the grass court, with each player stumping up $1million in a winner-takes-all clash.
The 29-year-old then changed the arena of their battle to the boxing ring, demanding that they ‘sort this out as men’.
Yet Kyrgios has distanced himself from a boxing debut, with the Canberra-born star expressing sympathy for Tomic, who in 2016 reached a career-high ranking of No 17.
‘He’s not very good anymore, he’s not relevant anymore, and he’s obviously got money issues,’ Kyrgios told the Courier Mail.
‘For someone who actually tried to stand up for him before and tried to help him out, like my family’s helped him out before, I paid for his flights back home from Shanghai because he had no money. So for him to come out and attack is extremely disrespectful I think.
‘When he’s challenging me for boxing matches – like first of all, I don’t know who’s going to put up $1 million for him because he’s dead broke. Second of all, I have bigger fish to fry at the moment. I’m trying to get ready for Wimbledon. US Open. I’ve got off court contracts, tournaments still pay me to show up.
‘And I don’t think that’s happening for him at the moment. But maybe one day, I would love to challenge him in there. I feel like I’ve got him on fitness.’
Tomic has rubbished Kyrgios’ claims.
IAN HERBERT: Nick Kyrgios is Wimbledon’s most cretinous player. The spitting Aussie brat is petulance personified and his poison must NOT be tolerated after his antics stole young Brit’s thunder
They were fretting about the seating before Nick Kyrgios walked onto court, asking those in one area to shuffle along because he is box office and he brings ‘very big demand’.
What happened across the course of the next three hours, though, posed the question of whether the tennis public really needs concerted, personalised, verbal abuse of line officials to feel it is being entertained.
By the end, as the young British player Paul Jubb showed Kyrgios what class looks like and took the match the distance, Court 3 began to display some partisan home support. But for much of the afternoon, you had to wonder why on God’s earth they were indulging a player who was behaving this way, when they could have got on his back.
Nick Kyrgios’ actions at Wimbledon showed a lack of class and should not be tolerated
Much mirth was taken in the general verbal spectacle. More still in the sight of Kyrgios smashing a ball high over the top of the court in anger, after he was broken by Jubb in the first set.
But it is fair to say the middle-aged woman who bore the brunt of the abuse had not signed up for this. ‘You’re the worst official,’ Kyrgios told her. ‘You’re a snitch,’ he added when she related the nature of his abuse to umpire Marija Cicak.
‘No one has come here to watch her do anything. Not one person. You know what I mean?’ he told Cicak, as the abuse of this woman went on. ‘I know you’ve got fans but she’s got none.’
A solitary voice from the crowd told it as it was, in that moment. ‘You’re s**t,’ someone shouted, a decent summation, and though no one really joined the chorus, the player in question did seem to consider himself disrespected. ‘I don’t start clapping when they are scanning s**t at a supermarket, do I?’ he complained.
That is the thing about those who walk around nursing a sense of victimhood. It is never their fault.
It takes a particular kind of cretin to say, looking in the general direction of one of the older line officials: ‘These people in their 90s — they can’t see the ball.’ And not even to look them in the eye as he says it.
This was not as bad as individual acts of verbal abuse can get. It is 13 years now since Serena Williams was penalised on match point — and lost — after declaring a wish to shove a ball down a line judge’s throat ‘and kill you’ in a US Open semi-final against Kim Clijsters.
Marija Cicak is seen as something of a Kyrgios specialist. She has umpired one of his matches before
But as relentless, poisonous tirades go it was an afternoon no one will remember with the remotest affection.
Cicak is seen as something of a Kyrgios specialist. She has umpired one of his matches before and perhaps considers herself versed in how to handle him.
But her entire absence of warnings, or penalty points, gave him free reign. This felt like a dereliction of duty.
Kyrgios did not see it this way, needless to say. Attempting to link all his grievances back to social media abuse, he extended his attack on line officials to the press. ‘Most of the umpires are older. Factually people that are younger have better eyesight. Do you not think that’s appropriate?’
His offensive definition of supermarket workers was bewildering. ‘I don’t go into Argos and start smashing someone at the counter when they are doing their job,’ he said. ‘I’ve never done that.’
Nowhere was there an appreciation of the obvious: that his histrionics gave rise to the minimal dissent he faced from fans. This drama turned the tennis into a sub-plot, which was unfair on Jubb, the British No8 and world No 227, whose contribution will live long in the memory.
The match was in its first game when Jubb inadvertently hit a line judge with his racket and spent several seconds establishing there had been no damage done to him.
Jubb’s resilience was remarkable although he did have an opportunity to win the game
Jubb later said he had not been distracted which was some achievement. There was one of the trademark Kyrgios underarm serves in a first set which Jubb won, but the greatest disrespect was Kyrgios speaking while his 22-year-old opponent was preparing to serve in the third set.
‘Hold on a second,’ he declared, saying the scoreboard was showing scores from other matches. Jubb lost that point.
Jubb responded to the pantomime only once. ‘Huh?’ he asked, when his opponent seemed to direct a complaint at him in the first set. His resilience was remarkable, though he will reflect on the three break points he failed to take in the third game of the second set, a period of optimal Kyrgios self-combustion.
When the match was over and Kyrgios spat in the direction of some supporters, he was asked in the on-court interview if he might be a commentator one day. ‘I just talk a lot but if they pay me well enough, I’ll probably talk.’
It will be trash talk, though there will no doubt be takers. Apparently, that’s entertainment.
