Kyrgios Denies Not Wanting To Interview Sinner At US Open In Heated Clash With Fan
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Nick Kyrgios has claimed that ESPN stopped him from interviewing Jannik Sinner at the US Open after a fan mocked him as a coward.
Kyrgios was a pundit and commentator at the 2024 Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open while out injured. Because of severe wrist and ankle problems, he has only played in one tournament since the end of the 2022 season.
The controversial 29-year-old will return at the Brisbane International before appearing at the Australian Open. He and Novak Djokovic have entered the doubles in Brisbane, giving fans something to look forward to when it starts on December 30th.
Kyrgios received many positive reviews for his work as a commentator and analyst, but fans noticed that he did not interview Sinner during his run to the US Open title after repeatedly slamming him since his doping case became public.
Sinner twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol at the Indian Wells Open. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted his explanation of accidental contamination from his physiotherapist and cleared him of wrongdoing.
However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) disagreed with the ITIA's verdict and has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A ruling will be made sometime in 2025, but not before February 11th, after Sinner's case did not appear on the list of cases to be heard before that date.
WADA does not dispute Sinner's explanation that his physiotherapist at the time used a spray containing tiny traces of clostebol and then gave the ATP world No. 1 massages, meaning the banned substance entered Sinner's system accidentally.
The governing body believes Sinner bears more fault for that mistake than the ITIA found. It argues that measures could have been taken to ensure that no team member had a product containing a banned substance.
Admittedly, the explanation of how the clostebol entered Sinner's system is unusual. John McEnroe found it bizarre, but he leans on the side of believing the Italian and knows that a lengthy ban for the 23-year-old could damage tennis.
Kyrgios has gained attention for regularly criticizing Sinner and the case's handling. That includes promising to show the two-time Grand Slam champion no respect if they meet at the Australian Open in a few weeks.
The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up's harsh words meant many fans would have been fascinated to watch Kyrgios interview Sinner at the US Open, as he did for many other players at the tournament, but that never happened.
An X (formerly Twitter) user wrote a post that mocked Kyrgios about his improved relationship with Casper Ruud, another player the Australian used to slam repeatedly. He has also changed his mind about other players like Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Another user replied by calling Kyrgios a coward for not interviewing Sinner and stated it was an example of him backing down when seeing someone in person, something the original post mocked him for.
Kyrgios responded by revealing that ESPN told him not to interview Sinner. In characteristic style, the former Citi Open champion responded, saying the X user had no idea about anything.
"No espn told me not to do it lol. But continue to have zero idea about anything."
While Kyrgios is known for making outrageous statements, it seems likely that he is telling the truth about ESPN not letting him interview Sinner to protect its reputation and not take focus away from the action during matches.
