Wimbledon: Nick Kyrgios fined $14,500 over spitting incident

Tennis outcast handed largest fine of 13 penalties so far dished out to players at Wimbledon - but it will hardly dent his finances.

Nick Kyrgios celebrates victory over Filip Krajinovic. Picture: Getty Images

Officials overnight handed down a US$10,000 (AUD$14,500) fine to tennis outcast Nick Kyrgios for his behaviour during the Wimbledon first round match, the largest fine of the 13 penalties so far dished out to players at the Championship.

However considering he earned US$61,000 for turning up for the first round match and US$96,000 for winning it, the fine will make barely a dent in his overall finances.

Before racheting up several penalties this year, Kyrgios estimated he had paid more than US$1million in fines for various breaches of the player’s code of conduct.

Another Australian, Daria Saville, was fined US$4000 for a breach in her first round match and Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon was fined US$1000.

Kyrgios keeps his cool to progress

Earlier, Kyrgios roared back into Wimbledon favour with an angelic second round performance on court two, blitzing Serbian 26 seed Filip Krajinovic in straight sets, 6-2 6-3 6-1.

Channelling any residual anger about being derided as the most cretinous player on tour after Tuesday’s bad tempered effort into a procession of quick delivery 200km/h aces, Kyrgios was on his very best behaviour last night (AEST).

Wimbledon match officials have spent the past two days investigating Kyrgios’ deliberate spitting towards a spectator in his first-round five set win over local wildcard Paul Jubb and any mitigating circumstances such as the extent that the crowd incited his fierce reaction.

But Kyrgios’ almost church-like behaviour — which dovetailed with some sublime shots — indicates that he was on notice that he could be thrown out of the Championships and hit with a heavy fine for any further transgressions.

For a man who has had the Championships circled all year, and is considered his best chance of winning a grand slam out of the four majors, his new found concentration on his game, rather than the crowd, proved to be a winning formula.

Kyrgios told the crowd after his “masterclass” effort, which included 24 aces and 50 winners: “I wanted to remind everyone I am pretty good”.

He explained he was very surprised as how badly he had played in the first round, and wanted to come onto the court “in my zone, with great body language”.

Before the match started the umpire reassured both players that if they had any concerns about spectators they were to report it to him and he would deal with it. He also indicated there were additional security officials in the stands who are authorised to remove any troublesome hecklers.

Kyrgios had a small set to with one spectator who had the termerity to cough during his serve, but otherwise he mainly kept his mouth shut and let his powerful serve do all of the talking.

There were occasional lapses: in the second set up 4-1 at deuce Kyrgios couldn’t be bothered moving to the ball and tried one of his crowed pleasing tweeners. But the between the legs shot went wide and Krajinovic went on to win the game. But not the set. Kyrgios won that 6-3 in 32 minutes.

Kyrgios’s well-behaved performance came a day after his close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis warned him that that he has to “be respectable” and keep his “drama within reason’’.

Kyrgios was labelled “cretinous”, “nasty Nick’’, and a “dickhead” as tournament organisers were urged to take disciplinary action. On Wednesday, match officials were reviewing the incident and Kyrgios’s press conference comments but no decision has yet been announced.

Nick Kyrgios doing Nick Kyrgios things at Wimbledon: spits in the direction of fans heckling him all match, slams a ball into the crowd triggering a warning, and the list goes on. #Wimbledonpic.twitter.com/3BmZYyq2n2

— Off The Deck Sports (@OffTheDeck_) June 28, 2022

Kokkinakis was asked about Kyrgios’s spitting incident after his second-round singles loss to favourite Novak Djokovic.

“That’s news to me, I don’t know if he spat or anything like that. Yeah, obviously you don’t want to be spitting too much unless you know you have a bit of phlegm you have to get out,” Kokkinakis said.

He said he had only seen Kyrgios, 27, get the win after battling in the match for a while.

“I didn’t see what happened there. I just saw the result,’’ Kokkinakis said.

“Obviously, you want to be respectable, but I didn’t actually see what went on and what he said to the crowd. I know when he plays there is always some sort of drama.”

Kokkinakis sought to defend Kyrgios’s actions as showing that he cared and was passionate.

“I think it just shows he cares and wants to win. Obviously you want to be respectable and keep it within the boundaries.”