"Absolutely stupid comment by another old head": Nick Kyrgios blasts Pat Cash for 'out of control' Australian crowds comment
Tennis News
Stubborn, old and stuck in his ways were among the retorts from Nick Kyrgios towards former Wimbledon champion, Pat Cash as he took aim at his comments surrounding Australian Open crowds.
Cash who won Wimbledon in 1`987 said that players could even decide against coming to Australia due to the abuse they receive from fans and that more respect should be given to international players who come over to the country, a viewpoint that Kyrgios was vociferously against.
“I think the Australian crowds in the last 10 years have got a little out of control,” Cash told ABC TV during a documentary about the Australian Open. “Cheer on your countrymen, no problems, but they’re not representing your country, they’re individual and I think we need to understand that.”
He added: “We should have more respect for the international players that come over here.
“We’ve got to also accept that if it goes too far, there’s a chance that these players will say, ‘I’m not going to come to Australia anymore. I go there and I get abused, what’s the point of that?'"
But Kyrgios took umbrage to those comments branding them out of touch. "Absolutely stupid comment by another old head that has no idea how marketing or how things work in today’s day and age,” Kyrgios told Daily Mail Australia.
“You need entertainment. This generation doesn’t have a long attention span. That’s why you see clips on Instagram rolling. They’re 15-20 seconds long.
“Someone like Pat Cash wouldn’t be able to grasp that concept. And I’m not taking anything away from Pat Cash. Incredible player of his generation, but we need to continue to make the sport grow for fans everywhere.”
“We need the crowds to feel part of the sport. We need entertainment. We need people having beers and the players loving it. We need human interaction. We’re human, not robots. We need it to be like that,” Kyrgios added.
“That year was incredible. Ash Barty was playing some of the best tennis in her career. She won the Grand Slam. Me and Thanasi won the Grand Slam. And it was the highest viewership.
“That’s not by coincidence. It was Ash putting on a hell of a show with her quality of tennis, and Thanasi and I were doing it a different way.
“With everything I do on and off the court, entertainment value, putting eyes on this. It just makes everyone else more money in the sport. That’s all it does. And if Pat Cash can’t see that – stubborn, old, stuck in his ways.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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