Nick Kyrgios burns Bernard Tomic with cheeky hoops sledge

Aussie Nick Kyrgios has given Bernard Tomic a reality check with some hard truths following a damning Instagram video this week.

Nick Kyrgios has given Bernard Tomic a reality check about his handles after an eye-catching Instagram video this week.

As part of a wide-ranging interview with news.com.au, Kyrgios took a light-hearted pot-shot at Tomic over the 28-year-old’s sloppy ball-handling skills on the basketball court.

Kyrgios also said it has been radio silence between the two after the 25-year-old last week poked fun at Tomic’s girlfriend Vanessa Sierra over the couple’s bizarre videos during their 14-days of hard lockdown in hotel quarantine.

Speaking as an ambassador for the Old El Paso #MakeSomeNoiseforAustralia campaign, Kyrgios poked the bear again by critiquing Tomic’s balling skills.

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“He can’t play. He can’t play,” Kyrgios said.

“He cannot play. Instagram can be deceiving champion.”

Nick Kyrgios is a proud NBA fanatic.

When asked if he’d seen Tomic in action before, Kyrgios said: “I have, he can’t play.

“He’s all right. BT is all right. We go way back, me and the big fella. I just hope he’s healthy. I saw he pulled out last week, so hopefully he’s healthy and he’s ready to go. Hopefully we can see him return to the top of his game.”

Tomic had caused some drama when he posted the video just hours after news of his last-minute withdrawal from the Murray River Open where he had reportedly cited a knee injury as the reason he was forced to pull out.

Kyrgios also limped out of the Murray River Open after an apparent ongoing knee injury flared up during his loss to Borna Coric.

He said he has seen Tomic around Melbourne Park in recent days since making public wisecracks about Tomic’s girlfriend, but the pair have not spoken in person.

“I haven’t really spoken to him much at all,” Kyrgios said.

“I saw him around the courts here, but that’s about it. I don’t really keep in contact with him too often.”

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It came after Sierra shared an intimate view of the couple’s quarantine room, revealing they have been stuck inside playing video games up to 11 hours a day.

“I don’t mind Bernie, but his Mrs obviously has no perspective, ridiculous scenes,” Kyrgios posted on Instagram.

Sierra created headlines around the country when she complained about her hotel quarantine conditions.

“This is the worst part of quarantine: I don’t wash my own hair. I’ve never washed my own hair. It’s just not something that I do. I normally have hairdressers that do it twice a week for me, so this is the situation that we’re dealing with,” Sierra said.

KYRGIOS CONSIDERING ANOTHER YEAR AT HOME

Australia's Nick Kyrgios at Melbourne Park.

Kyrgios says he is yet to decide if he will travel overseas this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Canberra product has been one of the strongest voices speaking for caution and commonsense in tennis’ response to the virus.

Having swiped Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev for their actions early in the pandemic, Kyrgios said nothing is locked in for his 2021 schedule and is unsure if he would be prepared to complete two weeks in quarantine to compete in tournaments overseas.

“If everyone follows the safety protocols, I might travel,” he said.

“But in saying that, you know how quickly things can turn.

“To play a normal schedule, you’re going to have to be quarantining from place to place and I don’t know if I want to be doing that to be honest with you. But there are some places that don’t require you to quarantine so I’ll try to play a schedule not as gruelling in that sense.”

KYRGIOS’ MISSION TO LIGHT UP MELBOURNE PARK

Tennis player Nick Kyrgios serving up meals on the tennis court.

Kyrgios has admitted his game will be impacted by the cap of 30,000 spectators per day at the Aussie Open.

Spectators will also have to wear masks.

“Definitely it will impact my game, but I don’t think it will impact the way I’m playing,” he said.

“But the crowds at full capacity, that energy is just special. This is my favourite event just because of the electricity the crowd brings. But having 30,000 fans a day is still a good amount.”

Kyrgios is going above and beyond to charge the Open with his charity, the NK Foundation, again partnering with Old El Paso to provide up to 25,000 meal kit donations to help support vulnerable Australians through Foodbank Australia.

Kyrgios wants the #MakeSomeNoiseforAustralia campaign to go viral on social media again with every share of an Old El Paso post on Facebook or Instagram resulting in another meal kit donation to Foodbank Australia.

Old El Paso is also cheering for the field of 13 men and 10 women in the singles draws with the food company to donate 100 meal kits every time an Aussie steps onto court — and another 300 meal kits when an Aussie wins.

“With the atmosphere this year at Melbourne Park with the crowd and stuff, we won’t be able to come together and there won’t be as much atmosphere this time around, so hopefully this can make some noise and get some chemistry going with the Aussies and make sure the atmosphere is there,” Kyrgios said.