‘Karma’: Tennis world unites against ‘embarrassing’ Nick Kyrgios

Despite coming into the Australian Open with an injury and after a long lay off, the tennis world has shown no chill towards Nick Kyrgios.

The tennis world has been at its most brutal after Nick Kyrgios’ straight sets loss at the Australian Open, reminding the Aussie that you have to walk the walk if you want to talk the talk.

The mercurial 29-year-old has spent most of the last two years on the sidelines battling knee and wrist injuries and was returning to his first grand slam tournament since the 2022 US Open.

But the plan all went wrong for Kyrgios after he suffered a grade one abdominal strain in the lead up to the Australian Open, needing to pull out of an exhibition match against Novak Djokovic.

Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

Generally the injury takes two-to-three weeks to get right but Kyrgios still braved the ailment for his long-awaited comeback.

Kyrgios then pushed world No. 92 Jacob Fearnley to two tiebreakers despite the clear discomfort that muted the Australian’s biggest weapon in his monster serve.

But having been outspoken on his various platforms while he’s been sidelined, Kyrgios had many people waiting in the shadows to pounce when he stumbled, particularly Jannik Sinner fans.

Tennis podcaster Scott Barclay tweeted: “It is objectively embarrassing to have chatted as much s**t as Nick Kyrgios did prior to this tournament, just to go out in the first round without winning a set.”

Is this the last time Kyrgios says goodbye at Melbourne Park? Picture: Michael Klein

Tennis social media freelancer Bastien Fachan quoted Taylor Swift when he added: “Karma’s a relaxing thought.”

One fan tweeted: “The entirety of tennis Twitter putting their differences aside and coming together like the avengers to celebrate Kyrgios’ loss — it’s kinda beautiful actually.”

Another suggested: “I don’t even follow tennis anymore but every time some stupid s**t he’s said comes onto my tl, i become more entrenched in rooting for Nick Kyrgios downfall and Jannik Sinner dominance. Like I don’t even really go here anymore but you’re annoying so I’ll root against you.”

A third wrote: “Kyrgios lost, beware guys he’ll have more free time to yap on Twitter.”

Another added: “Agreed. His level is far from where he thinks he is. He was hoping to play Sinner … would have been embarrassing for Nick.”

A Sinner fan added: “Karma truly exists, what a beautiful day for Sinneristas!”

To be fair, some fans also gave Kyrgios an out, with tennis blogger Pavvy G tweeting: “A reminder 5 days ago, Nick Kyrgios confirmed he had a Grade 1 abdominal strain, usual recovery from this is 2-3 weeks. Nick not only decided to play today but he competed for well over 2 hours and still pushed his opponent. He deserves a lot of respect and credit for that.”

Kyrgios was struggling. Picture: Michael Klein

But that plea largely fell on deaf ears.

Kyrgios was the most high-profile critic of world No. 1 Sinner avoiding a ban despite failing two anti-doping tests in 2024.

Sinner tested positive for low levels of the banned anabolic agent clostebol in March, once during the Indian Wells Masters and then again out-of-competition eight days later.

Sinner was stripped of his results, prize money and 400 ranking points from the Indian Wells tournament as the breach was blamed on his physiotherapist using clostebol, an over-the-counter medicine in Italy, on a cut on his finger before treating the world No. 1 without gloves.

But the Italian was also allowed to play on, avoiding a ban and holding a 28-week reign as the world’s top-ranked man.

Kyrgios blasted the situation, going into bat for the likes of Simona Halep and Jenson Brooksby, who were stood down.

Halep had a four-year ban downgraded to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after two separate doping infractions, while Brooksby was given an 18-month ban after missing three drug tests in a 12-month period.

“Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance … you should be gone for 2 years,” Kyrgios wrote on X at the time. “Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream …. Yeah nice.”

Sinner downed Nicolas Jarry in the first round. Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP

Kyrgios has doubled down several times since, and also took aim at women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek who was revealed to have been handed a one-month ban after failing a doping test during an out-of-competition sample in August 2024.

The 23-year-old Polish star was ranked world No. 1 at the time.

Swiatek tested positive for heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ), the same drug that’s at the centre of the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers in 2021.

But the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) found she consumed the substance through “the contamination of a regulated non-prescription medication (melatonin), manufactured and sold in Poland that the player had been taking for jet lag and sleep issues”.

Kyrgios also hit out at tennis journalist Jon Wertheim who claimed the Sinner comments were because the Italian was dating Kyrgios’s ex-girlfriend and Sinner’s current partner Anna Kalinskaya, as well as going to war with former world No. 1 Andy Roddick.

Despite so many people going into bat for Sinner, the world No. 1 will have a hearing into the doping allegations against him at the CAS in April.

Before the Australian Open began, Sinner was asked about Kyrgios, but played a straight bat, saying: “I don’t think I have to answer this, to be honest … I don’t want to respond to what Nick says or what any other player says.”

For Kyrgios, it was a heartbreaking return to his home tournament for what he said last night could be the last time in singles.

“Realistically, I can’t see myself playing a singles match here again,” Kyrgios said.

“It’s hard. When you’re competing for the biggest tournaments in the world and you’re struggling to win sets physically, it’s pretty tough.

“But I’ve still got a long year ahead. I’m trusting the process that I can still be able to do some cool things this year at some stage.”

Kyrgios explained he didn’t find tennis enjoyable while his body was struggling.

“It’s not enjoyable for me to go out there and not think tactically, enjoying the atmosphere, where am I going to hit the ball,” he said.

“It’s like ‘what am I doing to manage my body, this is painful, I can’t do this because this hurts’. That’s not tennis to me. That’s not sport.”

He added: “I’m one of the biggest servers on tour and I’m getting outserved tonight. My average serve speed was beneath 200km/h. I mean, Nick Kyrgios without his serve is probably not a threat to many players.”

Originally published as ‘Karma’: Tennis world unites against ‘embarrassing’ Nick Kyrgios