Nick Kyrgios makes classy gesture after striking kid with wild swipe

Nick Kyrgios has responded with a classy gesture after he struck a ball into the body of a nine-year-old boy, who was left in tears.

Nick Kyrgios has won a fan for life and the hearts of Aussie Open fans all over again with a classy gesture in the first set of his doubles match with Thanasi Kokkinakis on Tuesday.

Kyrgios was left wincing when he struck a dead ball into the crowd and the ball bounced to strike a young boy in the stomach.

The young Australian child was left in tears as a result of the contact.

The young fan was visibly upset. Photo: Channel 9, 9Now.

Nick Kyrgios's knee-jerk reaction to hitting a young fan. Photo: Channel 9, 9Now.

Kyrgios responded to the moment by jogging to his kit bag and pulling out a racquet to hand to the young fan.

He covered his face with his hand when seeing the consequence of his smash.

@NickKyrgios gets a racquet out of his bag and passes it up to a boy in the crowd who was hit by his ball and started crying. The boy has told officials he fine! #[e-mail]/Rb9N2uESRw

— Chantelle Francis (@Chantelle_Fran) January 25, 2022

TV cameras captured the moment the ball bounced off the boy and into his mother’s cheek sitting next to him.

Kyrgios slammed the ball after it was returned to him at the net following a fault served by Kokkinakis.

He looked shocked and then embarrassed after seeing the young fan crying.

The crowd on Kia Arena burst into applause when Kyrgios handed the racquet over and walked back to the centre of the court.

Nick Kyrgios quickly made up for it.

Open officials did speak with the young fan, who did not report any physical injury.

News.com.au’s Chantelle Francis and Channel 9’s Clint Stanaway has since spoken with the young fan and his mum, identifying the upset boy as nine-year-old Fin Crane.

Young fan Fin Crane was struck by Nick Kyrgios. Photo: News.com.au reporter Chantelle Francis.

Channel 9 commentators described Kyrgios’ response to the upset boy as a “fantastic gesture”.

“You can see Nick wincing there as he understands that he has accidentally hit someone in the crowd,” the commentator said.

“That young fan. Have a look at this. Immediately recognising the situation, picking up one of his racquets and handing to it that young fan. A bit of short-term pain but fantastic gesture there by Nick Kyrgios.”

Kyrgios’ on-court antics have been one of the biggest stories of the Open this year with a series of controversial moments stealing the show.