Nick Kyrgios’ latest indiscretion has landed the controversial tennis player a $16,500 fine from the ATP.
Three days after winning the biggest title of his career in Japan, Kyrgios was back in trouble at the Shanghai Masters after losing his second-round match against 110th-ranked Mischa Zverev.
On Wednesday, the 21-year-old was booed as he imploded and exited in merely 48 minutes, losing 6-3 6-1.
The total fine includes the maximum $10,000 for a “lack of best efforts,” as well as $5,000 for verbally abusing a spectator and $1,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Trailing 3-1 and facing a break point in the first set, Kyrgios simply tapped over his serve, began walking to his chair and allowed the German to hit an easy winner past him.
In no mood to stick around in the second-round clash, Kyrgios later began walking to his chair as soon as Zverev made contact with a serve, hit an exhibition-like “tweener” approaching the net under little pressure and opted for a drop-shot return on the final point of the encounter.
Kyrgios, who has risen to a career-high in the rankings, defended his exchange with angry spectators.
“I don’t owe them anything. It’s my choice. If you don’t like it, I didn’t ask you to come watch. Just leave,” the Australian told reporters at his post-match conference.
“If you’re so good at giving advice and so good at tennis, why aren’t you as good as me? Why aren’t you on the tour?
“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.”
However, he did admit he “took the easy way out tonight and obviously didn’t show up at all” and said he was physically and mentally tired after his recent exploits.
Apology
Kyrgios, who won five matches in Tokyo after losing his opener at the Chengdu Open in China, then apologized on Twitter.
“Not good enough today on many levels, I’m better than that. I can go on about excuses but there are none. Sorry.” He added the hashtag, “StillAWorkInProgress.”
Kyrgios had won his opening game in Shanghai but admitted “he was a bit bored” during the match against American Sam Querrey.
Although he said after the Zverev defeat that “he couldn’t care less” about qualifying for the year-end ATP World Tour Finals for the first time, Kyrgios has been seeking to improve his game. He has hired a fitness trainer to improve his conditioning, but has been without a coach for over a year.
This week’s controversy is the latest in a series of incidents that have made Kyrgios the bad boy of tennis.
He was fined $10,000 last year and handed a suspended 28-day ban for a lewd sledge aimed at Stan Wawrinka and his girlfriend, accused of tanking at Wimbledon in 2015 — a charge he denied — and separately fined $9,500 at Wimbledon for unsportsmanlike conduct and swearing.
This year, retired seven-time grand slam winner John McEnroe criticized Kyrgios after defeats at Wimbledon and the US Open.
“He doesn’t know what it takes to be a top-10 professional to win grand slams,” McEnroe said after Kyrgios lost to Andy Murray in under 1:45 at Wimbledon.
“I’m hoping he sees the writing on the wall before this becomes chronic, irreparable, because to me it’s getting to that point. He’s got a lot of thinking to do, a lot of work to do.”
