Nick Kyrgios has emphatically hit again at Australian tennis legend Pat Rafter after he made remarks about his relationship with fellow gamers on tour.
Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis took the Australian Open by storm in 2022 after they teamed up and claimed the doubles crown.
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The duo, nicknamed the “Particular Ks”, introduced their aptitude to the courtroom and had crowds up and off their ft all sport lengthy.
However Rafter mentioned the best way the pair conduct themselves on the courtroom has ruffled feathers amongst these on tour and left them on the skin inside the locker room.
Rafter appeared on the Australian Open: The Comfortable Slam podcast and labelled the doubles act as a “circus”.
“It’s an fascinating one that’s, as a result of the gamers are actually upset about it,” Rafter mentioned.
“I don’t know the way that operates with them and doesn’t actually trouble me both approach. It’s a little bit of a circus … doubles is a good occasion, it’s a number of enjoyable, and it helps you with singles, nevertheless it’s not the place it’s at. However on the similar time, it’s leisure.”
The pair had crowds lining as much as catch a glimpse of their historic run and whereas Rafter says they’re attracting extra crowds he doesn’t assume it’s value it after they’re getting underneath the pores and skin of different gamers.
“In the event that they create drama, create ticket gross sales, and so they create folks watching, then good on them, however at what expense, I don’t know. The gamers are actually upset. Are you supposed to know the underwritten rule that that’s not the way you behave while you do?” Rafter mentioned.
Kyrgios nonetheless wasn’t having it and hit again at Rafter, slamming the Aussie nice for having no thought what he was speaking about or what’s going on behind closed doorways.
“He would have completely zero thought on what the locker room thinks. Me and kokk have nice relationships with many of the gamers on tour. Man is clueless,” Kyrgios wrote on Twitter.
Kyrgios couldn’t assist himself and took a cheeky swipe at his critics after it emerged a pre-Australian Open exhibition match that includes the Australian star and Novak Djokovic had bought out in lower than an hour.
Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley on Monday confirmed Kyrgios would tackle Djokovic this Friday night time in an exhibition match “extravaganza” at Rod Laver Area.
Tickets for the blockbuster occasion that includes the star duo went on sale at noon on Tuesday — and so they had been scorching property, with the match bought out in solely 58 minutes.
The 27-year-old retweeted the information of the exhibition promoting out in lightning time with a dig at those that say he’s unhealthy for the game.
“Wow Nick Kyrgios is unhealthy for the game! Wow what a shame, a nationwide embarrassment! How dare he promote out one other stadium, the vanity,” a sarcastic Kyrgios wrote on Twitter.
Fellow Aussie nice Pat Money nonetheless wasn’t joyful and let his anger be identified over the upcoming occasion.
“What’s fairly extraordinary, it’s truly onerous to imagine, Tennis Australia is placing on an occasion, on centre courtroom, for Nick and Djokovic – I don’t know, is Novak gonna play, has he pulled out of it?” Money mentioned on SEN’s Sportsday.
“In what nation, in what grand slam – would you may have Wimbledon abruptly pulling out centre courtroom or courtroom 1 as a result of Andy Murray wanted a observe match?
“It’s onerous to imagine, they actually wouldn’t do it on the French Open. There’s youngsters day and no matter and also you go and play that. On the French Open it wouldn’t occur.
“They’ve bent over backwards to assist Nick to get some matches and to do that, I don’t know.”
