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Australian tennis star and 2022 Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has been fined a massive sum of $7,500 for “spitting and audible obscenities” during his second-round win at the U.S. Open on Wednesday. This was the largest handed-out fine to a player at the tournament so far.
The 27-year-old was in a constant conversation with himself throughout his 7-6(3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over Benjamin Bonzi from France in a grueling three-hour battle in the Louis Armstrong Stadium. Kyrgios was given a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike behaviour as he was seen using profanity towards his player’s box and spitting on the court in their direction.
The incident occurred when Bonzi broke his serve in the fourth set. The Australian was heard saying, “Go home if you’re not going to f***ing support me, bro,” as he shouted towards his player’s box, which also had his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi.
Earlier in the same game, Nick Kyrgios also complained about certain audience members smoking cannabis and urged umpire Jaume Campistol to warn the crowd inside Louis Armstrong Stadium. “It was f***ing marijuana,” he yelled.
“Obviously when athletes are running side-to-side and they have asthma already it’s probably not ideal”. The umpire addressed the audience as the two players returned to the court, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, a reminder that you cannot smoke on court.”
The crowds in New York have been a challenge for many players, similarly, Kyrgios also struggled with the chatter of the fans along with the sounds of the trains that are audible from outside Flushing Meadows.
“For someone that's struggled to focus in my career, I'm really trying hard to put my head down and play point by point, try to dig myself out of some certain situations. It's hard because there's a lot of distractions,” Kyrgios said. “Obviously, a lot of heckling going on as well. People are saying things. I got to be very careful with what I say these days.”