
After some of his opponents suggested that his behavior was disrespectful during his Australian Open doubles title run, Nick Kyrgios has fired back, claiming their comments were made out of jealousy.
Kyrgios partnered with Thanasi Kokkinakis to lift the men's doubles title at Melbourne Park, also brought some attention to his antics on and off the courts. The former World No.13 had an altercation with Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic’s entourage after the second-round win while Michael Venus from New Zealand, who went down in the quarter-final with partner Tim Puetz, described the Australian as "an absolute knob."
Finals opponent Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell were also unimpressed with Special Ks – the nickname Kyrgios and Kokkinakis were given – as they also criticized their opponents’ exploits.
Kyrgios, though, was never going to hold back when asked about the remarks.
“When people like Matthew Ebden says the behaviour was disrespectful, do you think that someone like him would say, who doesn’t understand the situation,” he told ABC’s 7.30.
“No disrespect, it is Matt Ebden, do you know what I mean? I have my own foundation. I help kids.
“I’m more than a tennis player. That comes from a place of jealousy to comment on our success and what we’re doing off the court.”
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Kyrgios also came under fire for suggesting that his doubles final did better in TV ratings than that of women's singles champion Ashleigh Barty. The 26-year old was quick to clarify his comments during the same interview.
"I never was trying to compete with Ash. I just said I think our doubles created higher ratings than the men’s final which is saying something,” he said.
“I never wanted to bring Ash or be disrespectful at all.
“When everyone sees the whole story, it is really not a story at all, but obviously when it gets perceived in a way and manipulated then it looks like I’m attacking her when she knows deep down, why would I do that? Why would I do that?”
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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