Australian tennis sensation Nick Kyrgios admits that he spit in the direction of a fan at Wimbledon on Tuesday, but he says the fan was taunting him.
Kyrgios, known for outbursts of emotion on the court, was in true form on Tuesday during his hard-fought 3-6 6-1 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 win over Great Britain’s Paul Jubb.
However, the British fans in attendance apparently took it upon themselves to help rattle the Aussie by heckling him and clapping sarcastically. Kyrgios complained to the ump several times about the unruly behavior, but then decided to retaliate by spitting in the direction of the fans.
After reporters asked him on Tuesday if he had intentionally spit in the direction of the fan, Kyrgios was unapologetic.
“Of one of the people disrespecting me, yes. I would not be doing that to someone who was supporting me,” Kyrgios said.
“Today, as soon as I won the match, I turned to him. I’ve been dealing with hate and negativity for a long time, so I don’t feel like I owed that person anything,”
Kyrgios added, “He literally came to the match to not even support anyone really, just to stir up disrespect. That’s fine, but if I give it back to you, that’s just how it is.”
This is not the first time Kyrgios has spit in frustration on the court. In 2019, he also spat in the direction of an umpire. In addition, the Australian has been a frequent racquet breaker.
Kyrgios faces a potential fine for the incident.
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