Asked directly about the spitting incident and confirming it was a deliberate act, Kyrgios said, “I wouldn’t do this to someone who supported me.”
Nick Kyrgios plays a live match against Britain’s Paul Jubb during his men’s first-round men’s match at Wimbledon. Credit: Getty
At this month’s Stuttgart Open in Germany, Kyrgios claimed he suffered racial abuse during his semi-final defeat to Andy Murray.
Asked specifically if he thought fans treated him badly because of his career, Kyrgios said, “I don’t know if that’s the case.
“I grew up in Australia, so I definitely know what racism is. I feel like it’s a battle, a constant battle, to come from that place and deal with it.
“I think viewers generally think there’s no line anymore. They can just say something, film it, and then laugh at it.”
Australian Nick Kyrgios celebrates during the individual tennis match against the British Paul Jubb. Credit: AP
A line judge was angered in the first set before falling behind against Jubb.
Kyrgios seemed to question the officer’s skill based on his age and complained to the chair referee that the line officer was a “snitch.”
Later, when asked about the apparent contradiction he believes tennis stars deserve from fans ’respect as they despise court officials, Kyrgios said,“ I said most referees are bigger, and I think which is not ideal when you are in a sport with such small margins.
“In fact, people who are younger have better eyesight. Don’t you think that’s appropriate?
“When you play a sport for hundreds and thousands of dollars, don’t you think we should have people who are really ready to get in or out of the ball?”
The fourth Wimbledon finalist of 2014 repeatedly said he was at the end of abuses through social media after matches, an experience, he argued, that was not shared by officials.
Asked about his level of sympathy for the officers, Kyrgios said: “It goes further because if I miss a tennis match and it comes down to one call, they are not abused on social media. I have to deal with it. My Girlfriend Hates Hate Messages My Family Treats Hate Messages I Hate Hate Messages
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“For me, hate messages carry a lot more weight than that. That’s what people don’t understand. It’s not just ‘oh, he made a bad call, and I’m just abusing the referee.’ “.
Sarcastically, Kyrgios said he was capable of empathy at certain times.
“If I get to a 220 [km/h] it serves and touches him [it’s] ‘Oh, I’m sorry. Are you OK?’ If they make a bad call, I just focus on one line, why would I have sympathy for that?
“There are hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake. Why would you have sympathy for that? It doesn’t make sense.”
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