Despite a routine rout of French wild-card Antoine Hoang, Australian bad boy Nick Kyrgios still managed to have two incidents with tennis authorities Thursday night at the U.S. Open.
Kyrgios can’t help himself.
In the first flap, with Kyrgios up two sets and a break late in the third, the chair umpire prematurely called “game’’ before Kyrgios’ opponent could challenge the line call.
Kyrgios got up to the chair umpire to dispute why he allowed the challenge to go through when he already yelled game. The Australian bellowed several times, “My game’s finished now. It’s my game.’’ He then carried on with a tournament referee.
When play resumed, Kyrgios mocked the chair umpire after actually winning the game, pointing to him, his opponent and back to the umpire in a theatrical display. The chair umpire looked exasperated.
Under investigation by the ATP for his remarks that the tour is “corrupt,’’ Kyrgios went on to win the match 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
Nick Kyrgios discusses a ruling with tournament official Remy Azemar on Thursday.Getty ImagesKyrgios may feel like a marked man, as before the match, USTA officials questioned whether his turned-up collar would be allowed because it contained a slogan. However, Kyrgios said it was not an advertising slogan — just his own mantra, “Just Do You.’’
USTA officials thought it was the Nike slogan, “Just Do it.’’
“It wasn’t anything to do with marketing, it was a design issue,’’ Kyrgios said. “I think they must have read it wrong. It was a mix-up. It’s all cleared up. I can wear the collar up.’’
What’s not cleared up is whether ATP will invoke a heavier fine on Kyrgios for branding the tour “corrupt.’’ He issued a clarification on social media, stating he didn’t mean the word “corrupt.’’ Kyrgios said he meant the tour has “double standards rather than corruption.’’
Kyrgios had been fined $113,000 for his misbehavior at this month’s Open tune-up in Cincinnati.



