Nick Kyrgios vows to continue calling out bad behaviour from tennis rivals after slamming Novak Djokovic for his Adria Tour and US Open antics: ‘If they defend it and continually make the same mistakes, I’m going to say something about it’
- Nick Kyrgios insists he will keep calling out fellow players for poor behaviour
- The Australian tennis star did not appear at the US Open due to COVID-19 fears
- Kyrgios was heavily critical of Novak Djokovic, who hit a line judge with a ball
- The men’s World No 1 was disqualified from the US Open on Sunday
- Kyrgios also had a pop at Djokovic for holding his infamous Adria Tour in June
Nick Kyrgios, long known as the current bad boy of tennis, insists he will keep holding his badly-behaved peers to account after calling out Novak Djokovic again this week.
The controversial Australian star, who did not appear at this year’s US Open due to COVID-19 fears, posted a poll on Twitter asking how many years he would be banned for if he had hit a ball at a line judge like Djokovic did at the US Open.
The men’s World No 1 was disqualified from the tournament and lost all of his $250,000 prize money as a result, and Kyrgios insists he will keep highlighting bad behaviour, particularly surrounding the pandemic.
Australian star Nick Kyrgios insists he will keep holding his badly-behaved peers to account
Novak Djokovic checks on the US Open line judge hit after he smashed a ball into her throat
‘I’m just trying to hold people accountable for their actions. You can’t compare what someone does off the court to on the court,’ Kyrgios said in Canberra on Thursday, where his NK Foundation was part of a government plan to open a new tennis centre.
‘When I see some people making mistakes, I’m not going to bring it up, but if they defend it and continually make the same mistakes, especially in a global pandemic, I’m going to say something about it.
‘I’m not saying it just to bring some attention to myself, I’m genuinely trying to pull people in line who need to be pulled in to line. We have to work as a team otherwise it’s going to be ongoing.
‘Sport is not going to be the same. I don’t want to live with restrictions. I want things to go back to normal.
In an apology, Djokovic said the situation has left him feeling ‘really sad and empty’
‘I miss going out there and playing but I want to do it in the right circumstances. I want to play in front of a crowd, I want to be an entertainer.
‘It’s so hard to make a definitive decision because things can just balloon out of control in a week. Even Ash Barty, she’s a champion of the French Open and she didn’t feel entirely comfortable going there.’
Kyrgios also had a pop at Djokovic for organising his infamous Adria Tour this summer, which was heavily criticised for a lack of social distancing measures with the players also socialising together in nightclubs as well as playing football and basketball together.
Many players tested positive for coronavirus, including Grigor Dimitrov and Viktor Troicki, as well as Djokovic and his wife Jelena.
Kyrgios wasted no time after Djokovic’s moment of madness by setting up this poll on Twitter
Djokovic and fellow tennis stars partied in a Belgrade nightclub during his Adria Tour, with some of the players taking their shirts off during the riotous evening
Kyrgios said at the time alongside a video of some of the players partying in a nightclub: ‘Prayers up to all the players that have contracted Covid-19. Don’t @ me for anything I’ve done that has been “irresponsible” or classified as “stupidity” – this takes the cake.
‘Boneheaded decision to go ahead with the “exhibition”. Speedy recovery fellas, but that’s what happens when you disregard all protocols. This IS NOT A JOKE.’
Djokovic apologised for the Adria Tour and and again an hour after being disqualified from the US Open.
Djokovic (left centre) was joined by the likes of Alex Zverev and Dominic Thiem following the completion of the Adria Tour event, but some players contracted Covid-19
The Serbian released a statement that read: ‘This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok.
‘I’m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong. I’m not disclosing her name to respect her privacy. As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being.
‘I apologise to the US Open tournament and everyone associated for my behaviour. I’m very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support, and my fans for always being there with me. Thank you and I’m so sorry.’
Kyrgios also had a pop at Djokovic for holding his infamous Adria Tour this summer