After weeks of world-weary shrugs, ruckuses and rows, Nick Kyrgios finally learned his fate from the tennis authorities for his meltdown in the United States a few weeks ago — a slap on the proverbial wrist.
For a case of ‘aggravated behaviour,’ the Australian hothead has received a $25,000 fine and been handed a 16-week ban from the game, suspended, depending on him holding his behaviour together over the coming months. The ban, although suspended, cannot be lifted before March 30, 2020.
Ironically, Kyrgios is currently injured, but he was keen to allay any fears his fans might have about him returning to court.
“Everyone, I can still play,” Kyrgios posted on social media. “I’m just on probation. I just have to keep a lid on my behaviour, that’s all.”
That lid consists of making sure that he complies with the conditions of the ban’s suspension — namely avoiding any further code violations that might warrant a fine.
These misdemeanours go back some way, if you need your memory refreshing. The Aussie destroyed two racquets after a Cincinnati Masters defeat to Karen Khachanov back in August and was subsequently fined $113,000 (£93,254) for five separate offences, including an incredible meltdown at the umpire that day, Fergus Murphy.
Kyrgios was unable to resist posting a wry reaction to the news of his punishment on his Instagram page Thursday afternoon, which fans lapped up.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B23w2UzgBjj/
Kyrgios has the option of an appeal in the next five days, and may well consider it, especially given that any kind of physical or verbal abuse of an official or unsportsmanlike conduct would result in a ban coming into effect.
While he is recuperating from his collarbone injury, Kyrgios might reflect on the fact that his 6-month probationary period cannot expire before the end of March 2020 and will therefore require a period of changed behaviour, something he demonstrated as part of Team World’s defeat in the recent Laver Cup.
Can Kyrgios change his behaviour — and perhaps, more importantly, maintain that change — over the weeks and months around the turn of the year? Intriguingly, Kyrgios’ return from his collarbone injury might see him return to a competitive tennis court for what is always a tournament close to his heart and one that stirs his own emotions like no other — the 2020 Australian Open in January.
