‘Zip your mouth’: Nick Kyrgios fumes as reporter spreads rumour
Nick Kyrgios has told a leading tennis commentator to “zip your mouth” after fuel was poured on a burning rumour that isn’t going away.
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Nick Kyrgios has told Jon Wertheim to “zip your mouth” after the leading tennis commentator poured fuel on rumours surrounding the Australian.
The 29-year-old’s running feud with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner has continued to dominate tennis news ahead of the Aussie Open with the Italian on Friday giving Kyrgios a cold shoulder during his press conference at Melbourne Park.
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Kyrgios previously said tennis was “cooked” when news of Sinner’s limited doping ban first emerged.
The former Wimbledon finallist has been the loudest voice calling for further action to be taken after Sinner and former WTA Tour world No. 1 Iga Swiatek were both hit with meagre punishments after violating anti-doping rules.
Sinner, who was given just a one-month ban for twice testing positive to an anabolic steroid last March, after an investigation found it was unintentional, said he didn’t feel the need to respond “to what Nick says”.
That running battle has taken a twist with former US Open champ Andy Roddick repeatedly trading verbal barbs with Kyrgios over what the Australian views as improper support for Sinner.
The American, a former world No. 1, and Wertheim were both scathing of Kyrgios’ behaviour when talking on the Served podcast released this week.
The podcast included salacious suggestions from Wertheim that Kyrgios’ views about Sinner are personal and surround Sinner’s current girlfriend — Anna Kalinskaya.
The Russian, who is ranked No. 14 on the WTA Tour rankings, was previously in a relationship with Kyrgios.
“This is just a personal vendetta,” Wertheim said of Kyrgios.
“There is a woman involved here, who also happens to be a player.
“Sinner has been relentlessly bullied for months and months and hasn’t responded. He’s also coached by a colleague of ours at ESPN (Darren Cahill).
“There’s so much going on here, but it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with bona fide concerns about doping.”
Kyrgios and Kalinskaya split in May, 2020.
She wrote on Instagram at the time that the pair were no longer friends.
The Sinner-Kyrgios beef reached boiling point at the US Open in September when Kyrgios caused outrage with a two-world post on X.
Kyrgios responded to a post on X that included an old photo from when Kyrgios and Kalinskaya were dating.
He wrote “second serve” — with the comment widely viewed as a form of misogynistic swipe at Sinner.
Kyrgios responded to Wertheim’s comments on X and gave the American reporter a piece of his mind.
“How does that guy have a job in tennis media still btw? Guy looking like that commenting on female tennis players. Please zip your mouth lol,” he wrote.
He also took a shot at Roddick, writing: “Hahaha of course - sweep sweep sweep, how is this now my fault? I couldn’t care less where sinner lays his wood.
“I’m in a happy relationship I just don’t like people who are cheating the system. Roddick - never ever thought you were a sheep my guy lol.”
Another twist in the swirling drama appears inevitable at the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday.
Roddick earlier in the podcast also said he was fed up with Kyrgios’ public comments.
The outspoken Australian’s swipe at young compatriot Cruz Hewitt appeared to tip Roddick over the edge.
Kyrgios took aim at Hewitt on Sunday after Lleyton’s son posted a photo with Sinner following a training session at the Aussie Open.
“Love ya Cruz but this is wild”, adding “Cooked post” with a needle emoji.
He also wrote “Thought we were boys” with several broken heart emojis.
That incident set Roddick off, with the 42-year-old obliterating Kyrgios as a hypocrite on his Served podcast.
“I have decided to lay off because there is this weird thing where he wants the likes,” Roddick began.
“At this point he is a tennis influencer. He lives for likes, he lives in the comments section.
“But what I have an issue with is the hypocrisy with which he picks and chooses when to levy judgment on others while also wanting you to digest the context of his comments – the latest being towards Cruz Hewitt who practised with Jannik Sinner.
“Kyrgios has been the single most outspoken critic of Jannik Sinner on the heels of his failed doping test.
“So Cruz Hewitt is 16 years old, son of Lleyton, the toughest competitor that I have ever played in my life.
“(Cruz) gets to hit with a guy who is number one in the world at the Australian Open. That is a big deal.
“Imagine as an almost 30-year-old man, going into the comments of a 16-year-old who is (hitting with) the best player in the world.
“If you think (Sinner) is guilty or not guilty, it’s still a moment when you get to do that.
“That’s a big moment and to simply post a picture and then have this guy go into the comments and make it all about himself, (commenting) ‘I thought we were bros’.
“The defence was all made that it was a joke. The lack of awareness you have with bringing trolls and all of the worst of tennis fandom into a 16-year-old’s comments is ridiculous. It’s ridiculous.”
Originally published as ‘Zip your mouth’: Nick Kyrgios fumes as reporter spreads rumour
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