LONDON — The fiery third-round Wimbledon match between Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas has resulted in both players being fined.
Kyrgios defeated Tsitsipas 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7) to book his place in the fourth round on Saturday. But he has received a $4,000 fine for an “audible obscenity” after being hit with a code violation during the match.
His opponent, Tsitsipas, has also been hit with a $10,000 fine for “unsportsmanlike conduct” after being handed two code violations for ball abuse during the match.
The tempestuous encounter left Tsitsipas furious, saying Kyrgios has “an evil side” and must have been “a bully at school” for the way he behaved throughout the match.
Kyrgios, who will open play on Centre Court on Monday against Brandon Nakashima, fired back at Tsitsipas, calling him “soft.” The flashpoint in the match happened in the second set when Tsitsipas flicked a ball into the corner stands, narrowly missing a spectator. Kyrgios called on Tsitsipas to be defaulted, but play continued with the Australian eventually closing it out.
It is Kyrgios’ second fine of this tournament, having received a $10,000 fine for “unsportsmanlike conduct” following his opening-round win over Paul Jubb. Kyrgios admitted to spitting in the direction of a heckling fan after seeing off Jubb in five sets.
“He literally came to the match to not even support anyone really, just to stir up disrespect. That’s fine, but if I give it back to you, that’s just how it is,” Kyrgios said. “I’ve been dealing with hate and negativity for a long time, so I don’t feel like I owed that person anything.”