Nick Kyrgios has slammed the “disgusting” behavior of some tennis fans, after video circulated on social media of Daniil Medvedev being heckled after his second round loss to the Australian in Montreal.
Key points:
Video showed Daniil Medvedev being called a “loser” by fans as he walked towards the locker room
On social media, Nick Kyrgios said fans needed to “show some respect” to the number one men’s player
Medvedev said he had felt compelled to stop and talk to the fans because, “when someone mocks me, I’ll respond”
In a video re-tweeted by Kyrgios, Medvedev is shown being called a “loser” as he walks towards the locker room with security.
Medvedev then stops, turning and speaking with the fan, as someone shouts “you respect us and we respect you.”
Others can be heard imploring the fan to apologise.
On Twitter, Kyrgios labeled the fan’s behavior as “disgusting”.
“This is the best we have in the sport, fans need to show some respect.”
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The interaction came after Kyrgios had defeated the Russian world number one at the ATP’s Montreal Masters, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-2.
At a press conference for the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, Medvedev said he had felt compelled to approach the spectator.
“When someone mocks me, I’ll respond,” he said.
“It would be bad to let people shout bad things at me and just keep walking. I will ask what his problem is.”
Daniil Medvedev responded to questions about the incident at a press conference for the Western and Southern Open.(Getty Images: Matthew Stockman)
Medvedev said he had also talked to the father of the fan who had called him a “loser”.
“The father of the guy said something to me also — I say: ‘Educate your kid’,” Medvedev said.
Nick Kyrgios has beaten world number one Daniil Medvedev at the Montreal Masters, while compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic has gone down 6-1, 6-2 to the woman atop the WTA rankings, Iga Świątek.
Key points:
Nick Kyrgios reached the singles final at Wimbledon, won the doubles in Atlanta, then the singles in Washington leading in to Montreal
He said his body was feeling good ahead of the US Open, starting on August 29
Świątek’s win over Tomljanovic was her 19th straight victory on hard courts
Coming off a title in Washington after his long run to the Wimbledon final, Kyrgios looked drained at various times throughout the match, but mustered a late surge to beat the Russian 6-7(2/7), 6-4, 6-2 .
After scores were level at 2-2 in the third set, Kyrgios broke in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead.
The Australian won 14 of the final 16 points of the match as he raced to the finish line, with Medvedev pacing off court almost as quickly.
It was a remarkable finish considering how tired he looked, particularly early in the third set.
Kyrgios pulled out of the singles at the ATP tournament in Atlanta between Wimbledon and Washington, but he did end up playing the doubles, ultimately playing four matches and winning the final alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Despite showing some signs of fatigue against Medvedev in Toronto, he said his body and mind were feeling good during the US hardcourt swing.
Although Kyrgios acknowledged form in best-of-three matches would not necessarily equal success at the best-of-five US Open, which starts on August 29.
“A grand slam is much, much different from any other tournament,” he said.
“If I was to put myself in a position of a grand slam, you’ve still got to win another set against him and that’s not easy at all. He’s a machine and he’s the best player in the world for a reason. A grand slam is a totally different beast.
“I feel confident in my body and my mentality going into the US Open but there’s so much time between then and now.
“I’ve got to focus on this event and then Cincinnati. I’m not even gonna think about the US Open right now; I need to take care of my body.”
While Kyrgios is enjoying career-best form coming off his first major final, it means a long time away from his family in Canberra.
The 27-year-old’s mother is in hospital, prompting Kyrgios to write “Be strong Ma” when he signed the camera lens after beating Medvedev.
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“It’s hard because my mum is in hospital at the moment, my dad hasn’t been very well, my brother just had a baby and I don’t get to be there with my family when normal people would like to be with them, Kyrgios said.
“It’s hard being from Australia because we can’t travel back and forth.
“There’s a lot of things people don’t see. They only see me winning, losing, throwing a racquet, doing those things. They don’t really understand the challenges that I face or what people on tour face, what’s going on in their personal lives.”
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He will next face countryman Alex de Minaur, who beat Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(7/4), 7-5 in their second-round clash.
