‘I like that’: Nick Kyrgios’ response to reporter’s ‘bait’ over human rights protester

Nick Kyrgios has responded to a reporter’s “bait” after a human rights protester interrupted the Wimbledon final.

Nick Kyrgios has told a reporter that he “liked” that she tried to “bait” him following his four -et loss to Novak Djokovic in the men’s Wimbledon final.

PA Media reporter Rebecca Speare-Cole asked Kyrgios in his post-match press conference whether he was distracted during the match when Australian human rights activist Drew Pavlou disrupted play to stage a protest against the Chinese Communist Party.

Nick Kyrgios 'liked' that a reporter tried to 'bait' him. Picture: Wimbledon

Mr Pavlou, a renowned 22-year-old anti-communist activist who ran for the Senate under his Drew Pavlou Democratic Alliance Party, was protesting over the whereabouts and wellbeing of Chinese women’s tennis player Peng Shuai.

Ms Speare-Cole asked Kyrgios what he thought about people protesting during a match, “especially when it relates to a Chinese tennis player”.

Kyrgios simply said he “didn‘t get distracted at all”, but Ms Speare-Cole continued to press.

“Can you tell us what happened?” she asked in a follow-up question.

“I didn’t hear or see anything. I just saw a couple of people on each other and they got taken out,” Kyrgios replied.

“But I like that you were trying to bait me, I like that.

Nick Kyrgios smiled as he told the reporter ‘good try’. Picture: Wimbledon

“Good try, good good try.”

A wry smile spread across his face as he pointed his finger at Ms Speare-Cole while laughter broke out in the room.

The highly anticipated decider between Kyrgios and Djokovic on Sunday was interrupted during the third set when Mr Pavlou held up a “Where is Peng Shuai?” sign before shouting the phrase.

Drew Pavlou was removed from the men’s Wimbledon final on Sunday. Picture: Supplied

Play stopped as Kyrgios, Djokovic, officials and the Centre Court crowd looked on for the source of the commotion.

The audience responded with boos, which were followed by cheers and applause when Mr Pavlou was removed.

Reactions have been mixed on his actions, with some praising the stand he took, while others have criticised his methods.

Experienced broadcaster Chris Smith called him a “pest” on 2GB and said his “legitimate human rights message is being tarnished by his reckless stunts”, a message Mr Pavlou hit back at.

“I’m not a pest, the reality is very simple, if I didn’t do this protest the entire Wimbledon tournament would have passed without anyone at all mentioning former champion Peng Shuai going missing,” he wrote on Twitter.

Drew Pavlou is removed by security during the Wimbledon men's singles final. Picture: Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

Mr Pavlou alleged that his head was smashed against a wall and his arms were twisted by security while he was being removed.

“Wimbledon security crash tackled me over a row of seats for trying to silently hold up a #WhereIsPengShuai sign. Security guard in the floral blue shirt then pushed me head first down the stairs and smashed my head into a wall while twisting my arms behind my back,” he said.

“As he smashed me against the wall he said ‘the police are coming to arrest you now’. Team of security treated me like a terrorist, kept my arms twisted really painfully behind my back as they expelled me from the stadium, all while saying they were sympathetic to my cause.”

Photo of my wrist after Wimbledon Security threw me head first down the stairs for holding up a #WhereIsPengShuai sign in the crowd pic.twitter.com/wj3VHYsncX

— Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) July 10, 2022

Wimbledon officials have rejected Mr Pavlou’s claim that excessive force was used.

“A spectator was removed from Centre Court after disrupting play by shouting, running down the stairs and causing a nuisance to their fellow spectators. The individual was removed by security colleagues and escorted off the grounds,” an All England Club spokesman said.

When BBC sports reporter Laura Scott said she was told that the reports of excessive force were “inaccurate”, Mr Pavlou alleged Wimbledon officials were lying to her.

Wimbledon are lying to the BBC. Photographs show security crash tackled me and tried to hurl me down the stairs. Simply for trying to silently hold a #WhereIsPengShuai sign. @Martinahttps://t.co/lH8HSm5O9epic.twitter.com/GyPHkSzStE

— Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) July 10, 2022

Mr Pavlou revealed he snuck the sign into the stadium by hiding it in his boot.

I folded my Peng Shuai sign and hid it in my boot, I walked into the stadium with it https://t.co/RJb5ZQTqzYpic.twitter.com/fhckOux7bo

— Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) July 10, 2022

He also said he did not mean to interrupt the match and only shouted so his message was heard on the broadcast.

“I’m sorry that I disrupted the match for 30 seconds, I tried to pick a break in between games to silently hold up my Where Is Peng Shuai sign but security immediately crash tackled me which is why I shouted out so people would hear Peng Shuai’s name on the broadcast,” he tweeted.

“I didn’t want to disrupt the match, I just held up the sign and security started attacking me, it was only at that point I shouted out Where Is Peng Shuai because I wanted to get the message out, sorry Nick Kyrgios I love you man hope you win the match.”

There has been global concern for Peng after she alleged in November last year that former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli had sexually assaulted her.

Drew Pavlou staged his protest over the whereabouts of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai. Picture: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for WTA

The three-time Olympian’s social media post was taken down and she disappeared from public life before making a limited number of appearances.

In a controlled interview released by French newspaper L‘Equipe in February, Peng said there had been a “huge misunderstanding from the outside world”.

In an earlier video interview with Lianhe Zaobao, she denied ever making the accusation, saying “I have never said or written that anyone sexually assaulted me”.

Mr Pavlou and other anti-CCP activists made appearances at Wimbledon throughout the week asking where she is.

It comes after he helped hand out “Where is Peng Shuai?” shirts at the Australian Open earlier this year, with footage infamously emerging of security and police officers asking a woman to remove her shirt.

Wimbledon head of security threatened to call police to arrest me for silently holding poster asking “Where Is Peng Shuai?”
When I refused to move they got this nice security bloke to stand behind my shoulder watching me for an hour. The power of Chinese sponsors! @Martinapic.twitter.com/b3uma4EAQZ

— Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) July 8, 2022

Originally published as ‘I like that’: Nick Kyrgios’ response to reporter’s ‘bait’ over human rights protester