Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has labelled Mexico’s spectators “disrespectful” after they booed him off the court in Acapulco on Wednesday.
Sixth-seeded Kyrgios retired from his Mexican Open round of 32 match against France’s Ugo Humbert, his ongoing wrist injury preventing him from playing on.
His discomfort was evident throughout the match, Kyrgios unable to execute his typically powerful forehands. He called for a medical time-out part way through the opening set to get his wrist taped.
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Kyrgios reluctantly conceded the match after losing the opening set 6-3, and the Mexican tennis fans booed the 24-year-old as he made his way off the court.
Unfortunately defending champion @NickKyrgios has had to pull out with a wrist injury, sending Ugo Humbert through to round two.
Get well soon, NK ?#AMT2020 pic.twitter.com/HPDIIkBjBK
When asked about the crowd’s behaviour after the match, Kyrgios bluntly called them “disrespectful” in an expletive-filled tirade.
“I couldn’t give a f***. I literally couldn’t give a f***,” he said.
“I’m not healthy. I tried to come here, I tried to play.
“I’ve been doing media for the tournament, I’ve been helping out. I tried to play, I tried to give the fans a little bit of tennis.
“They’re disrespectful, so I honestly couldn’t give a f***.”
Kyrgios returned to Mexico a defending champion, winning last year’s singles title after defeating Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-3 6-4 in the final. He is set to lose 500 points — approximately 35% of his ranking points — for failing to defend his title and is expected to drop to No. 38 on the ATP rankings.
The recurring wrist injury also forced Kyrgios to withdraw from tournaments in New York and Delray Beach earlier this month.
Although he admitted the injury was “tough”, Kyrgios is able to put his difficulties in perspective.
“It’s tough, I’m injured, but people with the fires lost their lives, lost their homes,” he said.
“I’ve got a sore left wrist. It doesn’t even compare to what’s going on back home.
“Hopefully I’ll take a week off and I’ll be right for Indian Wells and Miami and I’ll try to come back.
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios is expected to drop 15 spots on the ATP rankings after his first round exitSource:AP
“As of now, I can’t play. He’s a great player, he’s young, he’s coming up, he’s had a great couple of weeks.
“I’m not healthy enough to go out there and compete and win matches like that at this stage.”
Fellow Australians Alex Bolt, John Millman and Alex de Minaur also failed to progress through to the second round of the Mexican Open.
Humbert will face American Taylor Fritz in the round of 16.
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