The 11 most ridiculous things tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios has ever said or done

Advertisement
The 11 most ridiculous things tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios has ever said or done

Advertisement
Nick Kyrgios
  • Tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios is always in the headlines - whether for the right reasons or not.
  • Since turning pro in 2012, the Australian has provided tennis fans with some of the sports most exciting and controversial moments of recent years.
  • Business Insider has listed the best, and the worst, below. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Nick Kyrgios is always in the headlines.

The Aussie is one of tennis' most talented stars, capable of beating anyone on the ATP tour. Just ask Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Read more: Unpredictable Nick Kyrgios has wasted his talent for years, but his latest win shows he's finally coming of age

However, more often than not, it's Kyrgios' bad boy antics - some savory, and some not so much - that see him make the front page, rather than his ability on the court. 

Advertisement

Business Insider has listed the most ridiculous things the 24-year-old has ever said or done below. 

{{}}

We'll start with this year’s Laver Cup, when a "hot chick" made him lose.

We'll start with this year’s Laver Cup, when a "hot chick" made him lose.

During his defeat to Roger Federer at the Laver Cup last month, Kyrgios was caught by TV cameras saying he had become distracted by a "hot chick in the crowd."

"I lost concentration. I saw a really hot chick in the crowd," Kyrgios said just after the second set. "Like, I'm being jarringly honest – I'd marry her right now. Right now."

He later withdrew from the tournament with an injury and is yet to marry the woman.

At the Italian Open, he threw his chair onto the court.

Kyrgios lost it big time at this year's Italian Open.

The Australian turned on the crowd during his match with Casper Ruud before he kicked his water bottle, and then threw his chair on the court in a fit of rage.

Unsurprisingly, he was disqualified from the tournament and handed a $25,000 fine, according to CNN.

Advertisement

He once tore into Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on a popular tennis podcast.

He once tore into Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on a popular tennis podcast.

Speaking on the "No Challenges Remaining" podcast in May 2019, Kyrgios launched a scathing attack on some of tennis' biggest stars.

He called Rafael Nadal "salty," Fernando Verdasco "the most arrogant person ever," and said that Novak Djokovic "has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked."

And that's not even getting started on his beef with Stan Wawrinka.

Kyrgios told Wawrinka that his friend had “banged his girlfriend” during a match in 2015.

The pair were playing each other at the Rogers Cup in Montreal when Kyrgios was heard by a courtside microphone claiming Wawrinka's friend and teammate, Thanasi Kokkinakis, had sex with his girlfriend, Donna Vekic.

"Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that, mate," Kyrgios said.

He was also heard whispering to himself: "He's banging an 18-year-old."

Kyrgios and Wawrinka were then reportedly involved in a bust-up in the dressing room before the Aussie apologized for the comments.

Advertisement

Later that year, he encouraged fans to smear their faces with Vegemite and Nutella as a show of support.

Certainly his weirdest controversy to date, the trend was started online by a fan during Wimbledon 2015 and quickly gained traction, as well as Kyrgios' attention.

"Doesn't get more Australian than support of your locals and a face full of Vegemite," he said to a fan on Facebook who had partaken in the bizarre trend, according to The Telegraph.

The craze sparked a racism debate with fans and players, including Serena Williams, who told The Independent she'd be "interested to know" why fans did it.

Fans smear Vegemite and Nutella on their faces in support of Nick Kyrgios...http://t.co/SzyCQ1HFfW pic.twitter.com/vR3HFYeuYR

— Telegraph Sport (@TelegraphSport) July 6, 2015

He stayed out drinking with journalists the night before being knocked out of Wimbledon.

He stayed out drinking with journalists the night before being knocked out of Wimbledon.

Kyrgios crashed out of Wimbledon 2019 in the second round at the hands of Rafael Nadal.

That might not have been the case, however, had he not been out on the booze with journalists the night before.

The Australian was reportedly "chatting with girls" and drinking in local pub The Dog & Fox till 11 p.m. the night before his match on centre court.

Advertisement

Kyrgios' love for beer isn’t just confined to the bar — he once asked for one during a match.

A set to the good, Kyrgios looked to be cruising against Kevin Anderson at the 2017 French Open.

But a second-set meltdown, which saw him smash multiple rackets and ask a fan for a beer, signaled the start of his downfall.

"Get me a beer now. Honest to God, get me one now," he said.

He went on to the lose the match 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2, before leaving the court without signing autographs, chuntering to himself repeatedly, saying "it's a joke."

Nick Kyrgios combusts, stays dead: https://t.co/uXxWDxBq7e pic.twitter.com/2CQVmbNdQd

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) June 1, 2017

Earlier this year, he shouted at an umpire over the colour of his towels.

Earlier this year, he shouted at an umpire over the colour of his towels.

Kyrgios crashed out of the Rogers Cup 2019 just 67 minutes into the first round at the hands of Kyle Edmund.

But the match is best remembered for the Australian having spent most of it shouting at umpire Adel Nour about the colour of his towels — which he wanted white, not tournament branded.

"I just want to know why it took you so long to get a white towel," an enraged Kyrgios said, as reported by Fox Sports, after eventually having his wish granted.

"Took you 20 minutes for this one. 20 minutes. Oh, you brought me two. Thanks."

Advertisement

Then there's that “Beats by Dre” commercial.

Headphone brand "Beats by Dre" decided to hand Kyrgios a deal in 2015, and used the opportunity to play off his bad-boy reputation.

Kyrgios starred in a commercial, which was titled "Play Your Own Rules," and featured him breaking rackets and shouting "obscenities."

Tennis fans outraged at the ad, but that didn't stop the Aussie wearing them courtside.

Kyrgios may like music, but he didn’t approve of it on court at the 2016 Australian Open.

Kyrgios may like music, but he didn’t approve of it on court at the 2016 Australian Open.

"It's a circus."

That's how Kyrgios described the Australian Open in 2016 after he had to play through music from the crowd, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

The Australian was playing Tomas Berdych in the third round when he heard music from the stands, which he complained to umpire James Keothavong about "seven times."

No action was taken, and a visibly enraged Kyrgios went on to lose the match before labelling Keothavong "a terrible referee."

Advertisement

Last but not least was his $113,000 clash with umpire Fergus Murphy.

This one cost Kyrgios.

At the Cincinnati Masters earlier this year, he went on the attack against umpire Fergus Murphy, after he was judged to be taking too much time between serves.

"That's hilarious. If Rafa [Nadal plays that quick, I'm retiring from tennis," Kyrgios said, before going on to call Murphy "the worst referee in the game" and "a f------ tool."

He also walked off the court and smashed two rackets, and later appeared to spit at Murphy.

For the meltdown, Kyrgios was fined $113,000, and handed a suspended 16-week suspension, according to The Telegraph.

Next StoryKenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge just became the first man in history to finish a marathon in under 2 hours