Nick Kyrgios has been one of Jannik Sinner's most prominent critics since the news of his positive tests for a banned substance became public, and he took another jibe at the Italian on social media.
The Australian has only played one ATP singles match in the last two years. That was a failed comeback on grass at the Stuttgart Open, losing in the opening round to Yibing Wu in Germany.
Kyrgios, undoubtedly one of the biggest underachievers in tennis history, has been struggling with wrist and knee injuries during that period, facing many setbacks during his recovery from those issues.
However, Kyrgios remains a vocal presence despite being absent for so long. He worked as a commentator and an analyst at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the French Open for Eurosport, as well as at the BBC and NBC.
The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up's work in that role was generally received well and delivered in a professional tone, but Kyrgios acts in a far more volatile manner on social media, and Sinner has received the bulk of his controversial comments recently.
Kyrgios thinks Sinner should have been banned for two years after his positive tests for the banned substance clostebol. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared the world No. 1 player, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the case, meaning the saga continues.
Some agree with the Australian's views about Sinner, but he was widely condemned for a post referring to the fact he had previously dated Sinner's girlfriend, Anna Kalinskaya. Andrea Petkovic slammed him for misogynistic comments.
Kyrgios deleted the post about Kalinskaya without any apology, but he continues to criticize Sinner. In a Q&A with fans on social media, he responded bluntly when asked about the possibility of playing doubles with the world No. 1.
"I only play with CLEAN players."
The seven-time ATP titlist is sticking to his guns about Sinner deserving a ban. His previous dig at the Australian Open and the US Open champion came after the World Anti-Doping Agency announced they would appeal his doping case.
Kyrgios also made some other notable comments during the Q&A. Another fan asked the 29-year-old if he would play doubles with Novak Djokovic. Kyrgios did not rule it out but said Thanasi Kokkinakis, with whom he won the 2022 Australian Open men's doubles, gets priority.
"Kokki will get first priority but I am down."
Djokovic and Kyrgios share a friendship. Few could have predicted that when the Australian regularly expressed his disdain for the Serbian, especially after Djokovic's controversial Adria Tour during the pandemic.
Another fan question was about who Kyrgios would like to play doubles with, and he was given the option of choosing someone currently playing or one of the many legendary figures from the sport's past.
Kyrgios responded by posting a picture of himself and Roger Federer. Unlike Djokovic and Nadal, the Australian's respect for Federer has been constant since he started playing, and that clearly remains the case since the Swiss Maestro retired.
0 Comments