Aussie punished for violent meltdown after loss to Russian rival (VIDEO)
Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios has been slapped with a $14,000 fine by US Open officials for the racket-smashing tantrum which followed his quarterfinal defeat to Russia’s Karen Khachanov in New York.
Kyrgios, 27, had been installed as the title favorite after he dumped out defending champion and world number one Daniil Medvedev in the previous round at Flushing Meadows, but was unable to overcome the big-serving Khachanov in a five-set epic which ended in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Venting his fury at letting his chance of a maiden Grand Slam crown slip away, Kyrgios took his anger out on his rackets after the match, hammering two of them into the court in quick succession as debris littered the area.
The outburst was so severe that even notorious American hothead John McEnroe described it to Eurosport as “going too far.”
Kyrgios has now been hit with a $14,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct for the meltdown, adding to punishments from earlier in the tournament, including when he spat on court.
In total, Kyrgios has racked up $32,500 for his offenses in New York, although that is a relatively minor dent in his overall prize money of $473,200 for his performances in the singles and doubles events.
After reaching the Wimbledon final in July – his first run to that stage of a Grand Slam – Kyrgios had appeared to rein in some aspects of his temper and apply more focus to accompany his undoubted talents.
But his combustible character again got the better of him against 27th seed Khachanov, with Kyrgios smashing a racket during the match and directing an outburst towards members of his support team.
He also appeared to struggle with a knee injury, requiring medical treatment ahead of the second set.
Khachanov, 26, ultimately prevailed 7-5 4-6 7-5 6-7(3-7) 6-4 to seal his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal appearance, where he will play Norwegian fifth seed Casper Ruud on Friday.
Kyrgios praised Khachanov as a “warrior” after the match, but said he was “devastated” to have missed out on the chance of a shot at the final.
