NICK KYRGIOS was fined £12,500 for imitating a sex act on a water bottle and was sued by a Wimbledon fan – but insists he is great for tennis.
The Australian has received a mixed reaction from fans, rivals and organisers for his antics on and off the court during his fiery career.
Nick Kyrgios responded to the claims he is the bad boy of tennis
The maverick tennis star was fined for imitating a sex act with a water bottle
His lengthy rap sheet includes spitting in the direction of a fan, swearing at umpires, dropping an F-bomb in front of Prince George, tanking matches, smashing rackets and launching a chair on the court, with the total cost approaching £500,000.
But arguably his most controversial incident was when he shook a water bottle while sat down at the change of ends at Queen’s – before squirting some of the drink out the end.
However, despite his misdemeanours, there is no doubt that Kyrgios brings in fans and keeps people interested in tennis – and the ATP Tour know he helps boost viewing figures and engagement.
Speaking on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, the Canberra ace said: “The tennis rules are so dumb, I’m always arguing with umpires. I’m the leading fine guy.
“I was in the semi-finals at a prestigious tournament and I pretended to jerk off a water bottle and got fined $15,000 – that’s bad for tennis.
“I don’t know why I did it, the face is the best bit.
“My mum thinks I’m a silly boy – you’ve got to take the good with the bad with me.
“Personalities in tennis are a bit inside the box, I’m not doing anything crazy.
“I can’t cross the line too much because they’ll suspend me and I need to play.
“There are not many people like me at the moment but if they post on social media, it’s always Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or me.
“They use my name to bring fans or tickets.”
Kyrgios enjoyed his best year in 2022, winning the Australian Open doubles and the ATP 500 event in Washington as well as reaching the Wimbledon final and the quarters of the US Open.
However, his run to the final at the All England Club was not without drama as he picked up another hefty fine for flouting the all-white dress code with his red hat and trainers.
It was in the final defeat to Novak Djokovic, though, that Kyrgios’ behaviour landed him in hot water with the law.
The world No19 added: “Boos don’t affect me but when someone says something inappropriate or racist, that grinds my gears. People just shout out anything.
“In the Wimbledon final, there was a lady screaming out to me in the middle of points. You have to be quiet.
“I spoke to the umpire and then I ended up getting a court case about it.
“I said, ‘She’s had 700 drinks’ and then she sued me for defamation. It’s all done now.
“They’ve branded me the bad boy since I came on tour but I don’t do anything crazy at all.
“I’ve broken a couple of thousand rackets, it’s not good, I don’t condone it.
“I would rather see my son one day break a racket in frustration if he was losing than just take it on the chin. I want to see that he doesn’t like losing.
“Smashing a racket isn’t that bad to be honest.”
Kyrgios lost to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final
The Aussie reckons he has smashed thousands of rackets
