"The ratings speak for themselves" - says Kyrgios comparing Barty final causing heavy pushback among fans

Nick Kyrgios created a bit of controversy in Australia by suggesting that his doubles final pulled more views than the WTA Finals when Ashleigh Barty played.

Nick Kyrgios has been criticised for appearing to suggest that fans were more interested in him and Thanasi Kokkinakis winning the men's doubles title than Ash Barty claiming her famous women's singles crown at the Australian Open. The Australian said:

"I would say that we’ve created probably the best atmosphere this tournament has ever seen. Ash [Barty’s] father came to us and said the crowd was the best he’s ever seen. Obviously, Ash is a hell of a player, but I think the ratings speak for themselves."

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The atmosphere has been truly amazing when Kyrgios and Kokkinakis played and it's not been topped by any other match so far. The reason for it was the energetic way the duo played as well as their fan interactions during the match which is a signature of Kyrgios.

"The ratings speak for themselves. People watch my matches - everywhere I play around the world, the stadiums are full for that reason. So I don’t think those people that are screaming out before points, that has got nothing to do with us. But there is a reason why the ratings are the way they are and people are glued to the TV when we play. It speaks for itself really."

Kyrgios was called out on social media heavily after the comments with many fans and pundits pushing back against his narrative.