Nick Kyrgios fires back at high profile rival Dominic Thiem
Nick Kyrgios is refusing to stay silent when it comes to the behaviour of rival stars during the coronavirus pandemic, firing back after he was called out by a top ranked opponent.
Tennis
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tennis. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Nick Kyrgios is refusing to stay silent when it comes to the behaviour of rival stars during the coronavirus pandemic.
The controversial Australian has been the most vocal voice on the ATP Tour, happily calling out the likes of Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev for blatantly ignoring COVID-19 warnings.
The fighting continued on Wednesday morning, with Kyrgios firing back after Thiem was quoted in an interview saying:
“It was his (Zverev’s) mistake, but I don’t understand why a lot of people want to interfere. Kyrgios did a lot of mistakes himself. It would be better for him to come clean instead of criticising others.”
Kyrgios wasted no time responding to the Austrian.
This just shows what a joke @ThiemDomi @AlexZverev & @DjokerNole think this is, 2 of them partying like potato’s during a global pandemic. People losing lives, loved ones and friends, and then Thiem standing up for the ‘mistake’🤦ðŸ½â€â™‚ï¸ these guys are the ‘top’ of our sport. SMH
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 7, 2020
The “mistake” Thiem referenced centred around Zverev being spotted at a bar despite only days earlier confirming he would enter self-isolation.
Zverev had tested negative for COVID-19 but had played in the Adria Tour, an event organised by Djokovic which had led to the Serbian, his wife Jelena and Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki all testing positive for COVID-19.
Get your sport fix on Kayo ahead of live games returning soon – classic match replays, documentaries and the latest news & announcements. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Kyrgios, Thiem and Zverev were all slated to line-up at an invitational tournament for men and women in Germany next week. But tournament organiser Edwin Weindorfer admitted Zverev was unlikely to play.
“It is anything but certain that Alexander Zverev will play with us,” Weindorfer told AFP subsidiary SID on Wednesday. He added he had not heard from Zverev’s management and time was running out.
The presence of the trio in Berlin would be an explosive mix with tensions running high.
However, it isn’t just players who Kyrgios has been challenging during the pandemic.
Last week, a feud erupted between him and legend Boris Becker after he labelled Kyrgios a “rat” for calling out Zverev.
Don’t like no #rats ! Anybody telling off fellow sportsman/woman is no friend of mine! Look yourself in the mirror and think your better than us...@NickKyrgios @farfetch
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) June 30, 2020
For goodness sake Boris, I’m not competing or trying to throw anyone under the bus. It’s a global pandemic and if someone is as idiotic as Alex to do what he has done, I’ll call him out for it. Simple.
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 30, 2020
“Don’t like no #rats ! Anybody telling off fellow sportsman/woman is no friend of mine! Look yourself in the mirror and think your better than us... @NickKyrgios,” Becker tweeted.
Kyrgios doubled down on his strong stance in response, claiming he wasn’t trying to “throw anyone under the bus”, schooling Becker and receiving significant support.
“For goodness sake Boris, I’m not competing or trying to throw anyone under the bus. It’s a global pandemic and if someone is as idiotic as Alex to do what he has done, I’ll call him out for it. Simple,” Kyrgios said on Twitter.
In a separate tweet, Becker added: “We all live in a pandemic called COVID-19! It’s terrible and it killed to many lives...we should protect our families/loved ones and follow the guidelines but still don’t like #rats.”
We all live in the pandemic called #Covid_19 ! It’s terrible and it killed to many lives...we should protect our families/loved ones and follow the guidelines but still don’t like #rats @NickKyrgios @farfetch
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) June 30, 2020
Rats? For holding someone accountable? Strange way to think of it champion, I’m just looking out for people. WHEN my family and families all over the world have respectfully done the right thing. And you have a goose waving his arms around, imma say something.
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 30, 2020
The Australian star again served as the voice of reason, saying that calling out those doing the wrong thing in the coronavirus pandemic shouldn’t be criticised.
“Rats? For holding someone accountable? Strange way to think of it champion, I’m just looking out for people. WHEN my family and families all over the world have respectfully done the right thing. And you have a goose waving his arms around, imma say something.”
Kyrgios dished out a backhander of his own, labelling Becker a “doughnut” while complimenting his tennis skills.
“@TheBorisBecker is a bigger doughnut than I thought. Can hit a volley, obviously not the sharpest tool in the shed though.
Your funny guy ....how is it down under? Respect all the guidelines? https://t.co/tZ67V5Qu3m
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) June 30, 2020
OPINIPN: ‘ZOOLANDER’ GENERATION SET TO TRASH MEN’S TENNIS
Will Swanton
Men’s tennis has dined out on the admirable headline acts of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the last 15 years.
They have been good men. They have been statesmen.
The next generation of young buffoons threaten to trash the sport’s reputation and turn the ATP Tour into something out of Zoolander.
Seen the gas station scene in Zoolander? The scene in which Zoolander and his mates spray themselves with petrol and dance around like dorks without remotely realising how tragic they are? Seen that scene?
That scene has first come to mind when a shirtless Novak Djokovic and his pals, led by Alex Zverev, have been getting their nerdy groove on in a nightclub during the Adria Tour.
That exact scene has come to mind again when Zoolander Zverev, having apologised for his spectacularly selfish behaviour, has been caught in another video on Monday, grinning like a fool while women danced next to him.
Zoolander Zverev was all goofy smiles until the bloke who took the video, German fashion designer Philipp Plein, posted it on Instagram. Plein has quickly removed it but that was too late, pal. Once it’s out there, it’s out there.
Ben Stiller himself could not make this stuff up for sheer idiocy and self-absorption. For the pampered, pouting Zoolander Zverev to be caught up in the Djokovic party is one thing.
Faking contrition in a shallow apology before going out and doing it all over again is enough for Federer and Nadal to cry into their skim half-shot decaffeinated morning coffees.
They have built men’s tennis into a colossal entity. Now what? Djokovic may overtake them on the all-time majors list. And then Zoolander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios, the new moral guardian of tennis, which is really saying something, may be flying the flag for the next decade.
There goes the neighbourhood. The decline in interest, ratings and prestige may be rapid.
I am missing Federer and Nadal before they’ve even gone. Federer is so old and injury prone that he can’t run a bath for his kids without having an ambulance on standby.
Nadal, like Federer, wants to leave men’s tennis in a better state than he’s found it. Women’s tennis is laughing with Ash Barty as its major character. She is everything the WTA Tour wants and needs in a role model, a supremely gifted player and top all-round chick.
If I’m running the ATP Tour, I’m not sure I want Zoolander Zverev as my pin-up.
Granted, the Anjuna Plage Private club looks a bit of fun. Under other circumstances, there may have been nothing wrong with Zoolander Zverev acting single and ready to mingle.
But he’s meant to be self-isolating after every man and his dog has tested positive since the Adria Tour. Zoolander Zverev hasn’t been ordered to; he’s offered to; he’s pledged to; he’s promised to.
What a crock. Six days ago, after the coronavirus cluster (f …) around Djokovic, he’s said: “I deeply apologise to anyone that I have put at risk. I will process to follow self-isolating guidelines. Stay safe.”
He’s followed that hollow tweet with one of those little prayer emojis. Heaven help us, et cetera. Well, Zoolander Zverev must have misread the memo; the bits about the importance of isolating oneself while self-isolating.
We eagerly await Zoolander Zverev’s explanation. Perhaps he will just borrow from Stiller’s character in the movie and tweet: “Have you ever wondered if there was more to life, other than being really, really, ridiculously good looking?”
The video shows him in a crowded bar, everyone laughing it up, dancing, no doubt getting cozy later on, laughing with each other, laughing at the world, ladies never far from Zoolander Zverev’s side. Deeply apologetic is no longer the vibe we’re getting from him.
Here’s what I don’t get about him. It’s one thing to not care about catching the virus yourself. But what if you pass it on to someone else? Isn’t that the greatest fear? Isn’t that why the world, with 10 million cases, is being careful?
What if you give it to an older person who dies from it? Is that not terrifying enough to make you run a mile from this sort of scene? Djokovic has failed the pub test in more ways than one. In repeating the error, Zoolander Zverev fails the intelligence test.
MORE TENNIS
MADNESS: DJOKERS COVID POSITIVE CONDEMNED BY KYRGIOS
SANITY PREVAILS: DYLAN ALCOTT BACK ON DECK AT US OPEN