Wimbledon: Nick Kyrgios def Brandon Nakashima, faces wrath after dress code breach
Nick Kyrgios said it himself – any publicity is good publicity. And after making the Wimbledon quarter-finals, he wasn’t taking a backwards step against the local media.
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If you think Nick Kyrgios is getting rattled by all the critics and haters, think again.
The truth is the self-proclaimed bad boy of world tennis is loving all the attention - especially now that he is through to the last eight at Wimbledon and with a real shot at winning the title.
He’s been called “evil” and “a bully” by one of his opponents, he’s been called a cretin by the English tabloids, he’s been heckled by spectators and roasted on social media - but he couldn’t care less.
“I sit here now in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon again, and I just know there’s so many people that are so upset,” he boasted.
Rather than be deflated, Kyrgios is revelling in the role of the villain, oblivious to the complaints around him.
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When he started ranting to the umpire over a disputed call during his 4-6 6-4 7-6 3-6 6-2 win over Brandon Nakashima on Friday, a spectator yelled out to “stop moaning.”
Kyrgios just carried on.
Later, at his post-match press conference, a journalist grilled him for breaking the All England club’s strict dress regulations by wearing red sneakers and a red baseball cap to his on-court interview instead of a white one.
Kyrgios snapped back at the reporter saying, “I do what I want.”
Reporter: It’s interesting your comments earlier about the controversy that just seems to materialise around you. We all know the Wimbledon dress code rules are very strict. Competitors must be dressed in suitable tennis attire that’s almost entirely white - and this applies from the moment in which the player enters the court surrounds. Why then would you walk on to centre court with bright red trainers on and do an interview in a red cap?
Kyrgios: Because I do what I want.
Reporter: So you’re above the rules?
Kyrgios: No. I’m not above the rules.
Reporter: So what is it? They don’t apply to you?
Kyrgios: I just like wearing my Jordans.
Reporter: But there are rules specifically against that. I don’t want to spoil the surprise but the referee’s going to be speaking to you about it.
Kyrgios: That’s OK. I’ll wear some triple whites tomorrow.
Reporter: But that’s fine then. No one else, in both draws, wears ...
Kyrgios: But no one else - even after Wimbledon - no one else really walks with Jordans on the court.
Reporter: Sorry, but Nick has just moaned about the controversy that surrounds him.
Kyrgios: I haven’t moaned. I love it.
Reporter: So you just laugh it off then?
Kyrgios: Yeah, it’s just more attention for me. What’s that saying? Any publicity is good publicity, right?
Reporter: If you say so.
Kyrgios: Keep doing you then, champion.
Kyrgios’ media conferences at Wimbledon this year have become almost as well attended as his matches because he’s completely unfiltered.
In a better mood than the last time he fronted the press to be told Stefanis Tsitsipas had called him every name under the sun, Kyrgios was still just as a combative as he touched on a wide range of topics after his win over Nakashima - from the mind games he used on his opponents, to his shoulder problems to why he won’t boozing before his matches this year.
Revealing how he bounced back so quickly to steam roll Nakashima in the fifth set after lamely giving up the fourth and looking down for the count, he said: “(That was a) complete rope-a-dope tactic. I just threw away that service game. I knew he was in a rhythm. He was starting to get on top of me. I kind of just wanted to throw him off a little bit. It worked.”
Asked if his shoulder was seriously injured after he was wincing in pain and received painkillers and a medical timeout during the match, he dismissed it.
“I’ve played so much tennis in the last month and a half, so I almost knew that it was time for my body to start feeling some niggles. I think that’s normal.
“It’s just something I manage. Mentally I feel like I just deal with these things a lot better now. Earlier in my career -- I knew today I wasn’t feeling 100% but mentally I stayed quite calm.”
Kyrgios has a long history of throwing in the towel whenever things don’t go right for him and using excuses for his losses so not everyone is buying his explanations this time.
But he swears he’s a changed man this time and serious about wanting to win the championship.
“I just feel like I’ve been through so much. I feel like I’m able to stay more composed,” he said.
“Today I was almost just smiling and laughing to myself on the far side, just knowing I was locked in an absolute battle. Where in the past I wasn’t able to kind of enjoy that.
“I kind of was enjoying the fact that I was, like, two sets to one, obviously before I lost the fourth. He was playing really well. I wasn’t playing that great. But I was almost enjoying the competitiveness.
“That’s probably the first time in my career where I wasn’t playing well, regardless of playing Centre Court Wimbledon, fully packed crowd, I was able to just say, ‘Wow, look how far I’ve come’, to myself.
“I was bouncing the ball before I served. I really just smiled to myself. I was like, We’re here, we’re competing at Wimbledon, putting in a good performance mentally.
“There was a time where I was having to be forced out of a pub at 4 a.m. to play Nadal second round. My agent had to come get me out of a pub at 4 a.m. before I played my match on Centre Court Wimbledon. I’ve come a long way, that’s for sure.
“I think just daily habits and the people around me. I’ve got an incredible support crew. My physio is one of my best friends. My best friend is my agent. I’ve got the best girlfriend in the world.
“I’ve just got so many people around me, they just support me. I feel like I can reflect on all those dark times when I pushed them all away.
“Now to sit here quarterfinals of Wimbledon, feeling good, feeling composed, feeling mature, having that around me, I’m extremely blessed. I feel like I’m just comfortable in my own skin.”
‘LARGE GLASS OF WINE’ FOR DROUGHT-BREAKING KYRGIOS
The Nick Kyrgios circus is rolling on.
No-one ever knows what’s coming next from the most unpredictable player in world tennis but it could just turn out to be the biggest prize in the sport.
The odds are still against him but don’t rule it out because he’s already defied convention and the doubters by reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
SCROLL DOWN TO LOOK BACK ON HOW THE MATCH PANNED OUT
He booked his place in the last eight on Monday with a courageous 4-6 6-4 7-6 3-6 6-2 win over rising American star Brandon Nakashima on Monday on the centre court.
It is the first time in eight years that an Australian man has made the quarters at the All England club.
The last was Kyrgios himself, in 2014, when he beat Rafa Nadal to the last eight as a wildcard only to lose to big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic.
His opponent this time is Chilean baseliner Cristian Garin, who won an epic five-set marathon against Alex de Minaur – the Australian Davis Cup teammate of Kyrgios.
“I was really excited to play de Minaur to be honest,” Kyrgios said.
“He’s been flying the Aussie flag for so long and he was two sets up when I came on court. I need a large glass of wine tonight for sure.
“I stepped out here amongst the greatest of all time and I beat Nadal (in 2014). All these experiences that I’ve had got me over the line today.”
Garin ran himself to the point of exhaustion to beat de Minaur – saving two match points along the way – so will start as the underdog against Kyrios, though all appears well with the controversial Australian.
Although he was mostly on his best behaviour against Nakashima. Kyrgios was troubled by a sore right shoulder.
At times wincing in agony, he called for a physio in the second set and asked for some painkillers.
Then in the third set, he took a medical time-out, and asked for his shoulder to be rubbed.
Although he appeared to be in discomfort, it didn’t affect his game too much as he sent 35 aces flying past his hapless opponent, including a 220 km/h thunderbolt in the second set.
“I have played a lot of tennis in the last month and a half. His level didn’t drop,” Kyrgios said.
“My five-set level is pretty good and I’ve been here before, done it before and that is what I was thinking about.”
As is always the case with Kyrgios, his performance included a little bit of everything that kept the mostly support crowd entertained throughout the three and a quarter hour contest
There was an underarm serve in the first set, a tweener in the second, a series of f-bombs when he dropped serve in the fourth, then a rant with the umpire in the fifth.
But there was no repeat of his revolting behaviour in his first match – or the bitter confrontation he had with Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round – after which the Greek world number four called him “evil” and “a bully.”
Kyrgios heaped praise on his beaten opponent.
“First I want to say hell of an effort from Brandon, he’s 20 years old and he’s going to do some special things that’s for sure,” he said.
“(It was) nowhere near my best performance, but I fought through, the crowd were amazing.”
“I stepped out here amongst the greatest of all time and I beat Nadal [in 2014]. All these experiences that I’ve had got me over the line today.”
FOURTH SET: NAKASHIMA WINS 6-3
Nick Kyrgios has started blowing up on the Wimbledon centre court after losing the fourth set of his fourth round match against American Brandon Nakashima.
After being on his best behaviour in the first three sets, the controversial Aussie dropped the f-bomb after losing his serve then the fourth set.
After dropping the first set 6-4 then winning the second by the same score, Kyrgios took the lead when he won the third set tie-breaker but the match is now all tied up after Nakashima won the fourth 6-3 and is serving first in the deciding fifth set.
Kyrgios had been troubled by a sore shoulder early on and needed a medical time-out in the third set but it’s his frustration at his own mistakes that seems to have upset him the most.
THIRD SET: KYRGIOS WINS 7-6 (7-2)
Nick Kyrgios is just one set away from a place in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon after taking the lead for the first time in his fourth round encounter with American Brandon Nakashima.
After losing the first set 6-4 then winning the second set by the same score, Kyrgios has nosed ahead after winning a third-set tiebeaker on the centre court.
Despite needing a medical time-out for a shoulder complaint after getting painkillers in the second set, Kyrgios won the tie-breaker 7-2 to take control of the match.
Perhaps even more remarkably, after three sets, Kyrgios remains on his best behaviour and hasn’t blown up at the match officials once.
SECOND SET: KYRGIOS WINS 6-4
Nick Kyrgios has courageously fought back to level his fourth round match at Wimbledon with American Brandon Nakashima at one-set apiece.
After losing the first set 6-4 in less than half an hour off a sloppy service game, the hot-headed Australian bounced back quickly to claim the second 6-4 despite complaining that he had a sore right shoulder.
Appearing to be in agony but behaving himself, Kyrgios called for a physio early in the second set on centre court and asked for some painkillers but appeared untroubled after that.
He broke Nakashima’s serve early then tormented his opponent with a cheeky tweener — a shot played between his legs — and a thunderous 220 km/h serve which suggested his troublesome shoulder was on the mend as the pair headed to a third set, 6-4 the result.
FIRST SET: NAKASHIMA WINS 6-4
Nick Kyrgios has made a disastrous start to his fourth round match at Wimbledon — losing the opening set against American Brandon Nakashima while clutching his right shoulder.
Playing on the centre court for the first time this year, the feisty Australian was on his best behaviour — but wasn’t playing anywhere his best as he surrendered the opening set in less than half an hour.
Nakashima, ranked 56th in the world, was untroubled on his own serve, winning the opening game to love and not facing a break point in the set as the Australian’s game started to unravel.
At 2-1 up in the second set, Kyrgios called for medical assistance, saying “I just need some painkillers, man.”
They seemed to have worked — the Aussie has roared back into the match, consolidating a break at 4-2 in the second set.
Kyrgios has a history of succumbing to niggling injuries in big tournaments.
There were no signs at the start he was in trouble as he won his first three games on serve but he started to rub his right shoulder as the change of ends then threw away the set with a sloppy service game that gave his young American the early advantage.
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