Nick Kyrgios says he would have been “banned for six years” if he’d behaved like countrywoman Daria Gavrilova at the WTA event in Mexico.
A fortunate bounce was all that prevented Australia’s No.2 women’s player being disqualified, after she dropped serve and flung her racquet towards the net – only narrowly missing two ball boys.
“I would be banned for six years and been on every paper and news channel for the next month,” Kyrgios tweeted.
Gavrilova was later penalised two points for consecutive time violations at the start of the third set of her first-round match with American Madison Brengle.
She overcame both incidents to win the match at the WTA event in Mexico 4-6 6-3 6-3.
Kyrgios’s comments drew support from controversial American Coco Vandeweghe, who tweeted an emoji of a woman shrugging.
“Double standards everywhere,” the world No.17 tweeted.
Top 20 Frenchman Lucas Pouille responded to Kyrgios with an emoji of the see-no-evil monkey.
Australia’s No.1 male player Kyrgios often comments on the poor behaviour of players and has quite the track record himself.
He was booted off the ATP tour for eight weeks and fined $50,000 in 2016 for tanking, having spent the back end of 2015 with a suspended four-week ban hanging over his head for sledging French Open champion Stan Wawrinka.
Kyrgios also escaped with only a code violation when a racquet he slammed into the ground bounced into the stands at Wimbledon in 2015.
Sue66
Guest
Kyrgios does not 'often comment' on other player's behaviour. This is the second time only. Last year a young player was talked to gently by a Portuguese ref in Portuguese to a young player who had bashed a ball into the stands and was not given any sort of penalty (Kyrgios was the week before fined $4000). This is not like you, I know, said the ref kindly. Nice. His observation about Dasha is the second time. He would have been severely fined for this most dangerous action, probably disqualified.