He refused to shake Murphy’s hand and then spat at him.
Kyrgios had smashed two racquets in the player tunnel. Called the umpire a potato throughout the match. Complained of victimisation. Told a spectator to shut his mouth. Been docked a penalty point. Taken a toilet break that involved no toilet and objected to Rafael Nadal getting special treatment on the ATP Tour.
Still wrapping his racquet grip before the first point of the third set, Kyrgios claimed he was ready to play, receiving a time violation.
When he asked for a toilet break, he was told by umpire Fergus Murphy that it was not possible.
Kyrgios went anyway, without actually going. He walked off the court with two racquets. He entered the players tunnel, smashed both racquets, and returned to the court with the busted frames in his hands.
Murphy contacted officials to ask them what happened. He was told no-one had witnessed it, but television coverage had shown it. A linesman was right there. Asking for a bathroom break, and then not going to the bathroom, is a rules violation in itself.
After match point, Kyrgios told Murphy, “You’re a f*****' tool, bro.” And then spat. And refused to shake hands.
Barely a point went by without Kyrgios objecting to something. At full voice, he yelled: “It’s a joke! You put the top players on a pedestal!”
Early in the third set he told a spectator, “Shut your mouth, bro.”
Nobody does a meltdown like Nick Kyrgios does a meltdown pic.twitter.com/bmi6iQi1DG
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 15, 2019
He grizzled about the courtside clock that gave players 25 seconds between points.
Kyrgios accused Murphy of starting the clock faster on his service points. Kyrgios screamed at his courtside entourage: “Why do I always have problems with this potato in the chair? He’s a spud.” At another change of ends, he shouted, “The worst ref ever!” He told Murphy, “I don’t know how you’ve still got a gig, to be honest. It’s unreal.”
He was referring to Nadal’s reputation for being a slow player. Murphy said he was doing what he always did.
Calling the score after a point, and then starting the shot clock. Kyrgios maintained it was beginning too quickly. “Rafa’s routine alone takes 20 seconds. Mine is being sped up. So why is his allowed?”
He said: “You start the clock before the point is even finished? What the f … are you doing? You’re telling me Rafa plays that quick? Hilarious, bro! Hilarious! If Rafa plays that quick, I’m retiring … Rafa certainly doesn’t play this sport, as far as I know. Is it tennis? Is it? I want to play what he’s playing.”
Kyrgios trailed 2-5 in the first set and seemed set to withdraw because of injury. “I can’t stop thinking about my foot,” he said before Khachanov lost a nervous service game. During a medical timeout, he told the tour physiotherapist: “If he would have held at 5-3, I would have pulled out. I didn’t even move. He literally broke himself.”
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Even by Nick Kyrgios’s standards, this was a bad one. After losing to Russian Karen Khachanov 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in the ATP Tour event at Cincinnati today, Kyrgios told umpire Fergus Murphy, “You’re a f*****’ tool, bro.”