MAKING A RACKET
Nick Kyrgios facing a ban after ‘corrupt’ rant at tennis chiefs after umpire row
NICK KYRGIOS is facing a ban after losing the plot again.
The controversial Aussie launched a furious rant at ‘corrupt’ tennis bosses after coming through a stormy US Open first round match against American Steve Johnson.
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Kyrgios arrived in New York having been whacked with a monster £93,000 fine in Cincinnati earlier this month after smashing two rackets and verbally abusing officials.
But that record penalty failed to keep the wild world No 30 in check.
The ATP — the governing body of men’s tennis — have had enough of his bad-boy antics and are set to hit him with a ban after the end of the US Open.
Tennis chiefs know he is a star attraction in a sport in need of characters.
But a source told SunSport: “A suspension could actually do him good.”
During the second set of his 6-3, 7-6, 6-4 win over Johnson he began blasting Brit official James Keothavong which left his seething opponent raging: “Do you want to play f*****g tennis or host a s**t show?”
Afterwards, when quizzed about his Cincinnati shame, Kyrgios lost it, blasting: “The ATP is pretty corrupt anyway. I’m not fussed about it at all.
“I was fined $113,000 (£93,000) for what? Why are we talking about something that happened three weeks ago when I just chopped up someone first round of a US Open?” The Aussie, 24, who now faces Frenchman Antoine Hoang, last night sought to clarify his comments, moaning about double standards.
In a statement Kyrgios insisted: “I would like to clarify my comment around the ATP being corrupt. It was not the correct choice of words and my point and intention was to address what I see as double standards rather than corruption.
“I know my behaviour has been controversial and that has landed me in trouble, which at times is granted and valid.
“But my issue is around others whether gaining the same, less or more media attention doing the same or similar behaviour and not being sanctioned.
“I’ve deserved fines at times but I expect consistency and fairness. To date that’s not happened.”
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Kyrgios’ lengthy rap sheet includes being defaulted at the Italian Open in May for throwing a chair.
In 2016 he was banned for eight weeks — reduced to three after he agreed to seek professional help — after being accused of deliberately losing a match in Shanghai.
And after crashing out in the second round in Cincinnati, the ATP listed EIGHT separate fines including unsportsmanlike conduct, verbal abuse and audible obscenity.
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