Australian tennis ace Nick Kyrgios has been given a suspended ban of 16 weeks and additional fine of $25,000 for his explosive outbursts during recent tournaments.
The Aussie’s heated exchanges with chair umpires and fans didn’t go unnoticed by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which has decided to impose sanctions on the tennis rebel.
The ATP launched an independent investigation following Kyrgios’ second-round match at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, where he called match official Fergus Murphy “a f*cking tool” and a “potato with arms and legs.”
The controversial episode resulted in a whopping $ 113,000 fine for the hot-tempered Australian, who has a long history of on-court animosity with umpires.
“Separately, a second investigation took place related to comments made by Kyrgios towards ATP during the US Open,” the ATP said, referring to yet another controversy involving the disobedient Aussie at the season-ending Grand Slam.
Performing at Flushing Meadows, Kyrgios accused the ATP of being “pretty corrupt” after his first-round win when asked about his record fine handed for the Cincinnati outburst.
Also on rt.com “Play f***ing tennis”: Nick Kyrgios shakes off opponent’s jibe to claim win at US Open (VIDEO)“The investigation has concluded that Kyrgios has been found to have committed Aggravated Behavior under the Player Major Offense provision in the ATP Code,” the ATP said in a statement.
However, both the fine and suspension are deferred pending Kyrgios’s future behavior at ATP and Challenger Tour events during a six-month probationary period.