“It affects Naomi Osaka, it affected me” Nick Kyrgios calls out the hecklers in Indian Wells, says ‘people are fools’


“It affects Naomi Osaka, it affected me” Nick Kyrgios calls out the hecklers in Indian Wells, says ‘people are fools’

Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios

World No. 132 Nick Kyrgios‘ quarter-finals run at the 2022 Indian Wells Masters will see him move closer to breaking into the Top-100 once again. The Australian’s run was a testament to the talent that he has only lacked a certain level of discipline that could see him become more successful on the Tour.

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The Australian was defeated in the last-8 by 21-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal but not without a fight from Nick. In a match that went on for 2 hours and 46 minutes, Nadal came out on the top with a 7-6(0), 5-7, 6-4 win to move into the semi-finals and ending Nick’s run at his first Tour event of the season having last played at the 2022 Australian Open where he won the Doubles title.

With controversy and drama not far away from Nick, the match with Nadal also saw tense moments. Nick threw his racquet towards a ball boy in rage narrowly missing the kid. Although it was unintentional, it was not a good advertisement for the sport. The match also saw the chair umpire calling out a heckler disturbing the match amongst the other on-court drama as well.

Nick’s actions however did not sit well with many fans who called him out again via social media handles asking the player to face stricter punishments for his actions. While Nick was obviously not happy with the comments, he highlighted that he actually brings attention to the sport and the people are the ones spreading negativity.

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“I feel like I’m helping the sport, getting more attention, and anyone who thinks I’m bad for the sport are just fools. As if they had any idea. And they don’t have a clue. People suddenly think they’re relevant. And no, you are irrelevant. You have a small social media account where you write to people. 

“You are spreading negativity. It’s embarrassing, and you can see how it affects people. It affects Russell Westbrook. It affects people. It affects Naomi Osaka. It’s affected me for years and it’s not good,” said Kyrgios in his post-match press conference after the defeat to Nadal.

Nick Kyrgios set to jump 30 places in the rankings

Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios

Kyrgios’ run will see him become the new World No. 102 when the rankings are updated after the conclusion of the tournament in Indian Wells. Looking better motivated, Nick should break into the Top-100 easily if he continues playing the way he has in the desert in the past week. With a wildcard, Nick will next play at the 2022 Miami Masters where a similar run will see him enter the Top-100 once again.

Also Read: ‘Don’t know where the line is’ Rafael Nadal warns ATP authorities to take tough decisions after Nick Kyrgios racket-smash row

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