What’s a tennis star to do during lockdown? Stir up trouble via social media perhaps

Call that a love game? Alice Coster, Herald Sun, May 22:

Nick Kyrgios doesn’t beat around the bush. Known for his lightning serve, the swag man says he sleeps with a female fan on a “weekly basis”. That’s if he isn’t hooked up with anyone. “Yes, in all seriousness, if I’m not seeing someone it’s a weekly thing.”

Not a bad boy. Fox News, May 15:

Nick Kyrgios’ relationship with Russian tennis star Anna Kalinskaya has seemingly ended on bad terms … The pair were spotted together at an Acapulco street stall in March, with Kyrgios kissing Kalinskaya on the forehead … However, a series of cryptic Instagram posts from Kalinskaya suggests the couple’s recent break-up was not pleasant. (She) shared a photo on her Instagram with the caption, “You’re not a bad boy, you are simply a bad person”. A few hours later, a follow-up post was captioned “F… energy vampire”.

Man love? Ian McCullough, The Sydney Morning Herald, May 17:

Nick Kyrgios has declared his love for Andy Murray and lambasted some of tennis’s biggest names in a wildly entertaining Instagram Live chat between the pair. Murray, at home in Surrey just outside London, set up the 30-minute catch-up which was broadcast via his Instagram page.

Party animal. Aryan Sharma, Essentially Sports, Monday:

You might have heard by now of the Instagram Live that Andy Murray conducted with Nick Kyrgios. That’s because of the rumour that Kyrgios was drunk … In addition, some of his comments on Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic led some people to raise their eyebrows. One of his comments … “Do you think me and Dom­inic Thiem would vibe? No. I’m more invested in maybe, like, a nice cocktail. But my boy D Thiem would be like, I want to see this paint dry.”

Andrew Reid, Yahoo Sport, May 12:

Rafael Nadal says Nick Kyrgios should focus on a more age-appropriate rival after knocking back an invitation from the Aussie on social media. The relationship between Kyrgios and Nadal has been rocky in the past, to say the least. Bad blood between the pair has been palpable ever since their memorable clash at the Mexico Open in 2019 when Nadal accused the Aussie of being disrespectful on court.

Nine’s Wide World of Sports, May 6:

ATP Council member and Canadian star Vasek Pospisil has blasted comments made by Nick Kyrgios that went against the proposed merger between the men’s and women’s tennis tours.

News.com.au, April 26:

It may not have been the 25th birthday Nick Kyrgios had in mind, but it went from bad to worse on Monday night when a fellow star made one post. As countless others wished the supremely talented Aussie a happy birthday, Greek superstar Stefanos Tsitsipas decided to go down a different path … (His) post was an image of himself holding up a cardboard sign which he captioned: “Lift others up.” The only problem was, the sign contained a mobile number. Which fans quickly came to realise belonged to the one and only Kyrgios (who) commented: “You are an absolute idiot.”

Fox Sports, April 6:

Whatever your opinion of Nick Kyrgios the tennis player, there is no denying the depth of his human spirit. He’s just made an incredible offer, pledging to help hungry social media followers who might be struggling to make ends meet during the coronavirus crisis. The Aussie ace said his inbox was open for those in need. “Even just for a box of noodles, a loaf of bread or milk. I will drop it off at your doorstep, no questions asked” … It’s not the first time Kyrgios has shown generosity during a crisis. (He) was one of the driving forces behind raising money during the Australian bushfire crisis this summer.