Nick Kyrgios has once again directed criticism at Jannik Sinner, warning the world No. 1 that he hopes to face him at the Australian Open, where he aims to incite the crowd against him, creating what he described as “an absolute hell.”
In a recent episode of the Nothing Major Podcast, hosted by John Isner, Sam Querrey, Jack Sock, and Steve Johnson, Kyrgios addressed his strong remarks regarding Sinner’s recent doping controversy. He emphasized that his comments are not personal but stem from his frustration with athletes who use banned substances to enhance their performance.
“I haven’t failed any drug tests. Once you get caught, you can’t act like the victim,” Kyrgios stated candidly. His remarks followed a promotional highlight reel of Sinner shared by Eurosport on social media, which prompted Kyrgios to respond to a user’s comment about “whitewashing,” saying, “Why are they trying to pull the wool over our eyes?” accompanied by laughing and injection emojis.
After undergoing knee and wrist surgeries that sidelined him for two seasons, the former world No. 13 is set to make his comeback at the Brisbane International before returning to Grand Slam competition at the Australian Open. Kyrgios expressed eagerness to challenge Sinner in Melbourne, saying, “I just want to go out there and I really want to play Sinner. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. If I played him at the Australian Open, I would get every single person in the crowd to turn against him. It would be an absolute riot. I would do anything to win.”
The two players have met only once before, during the 2022 Miami Masters, where Sinner emerged victorious with a score of 7-6(3), 6-3.
Sinner, for his part, has previously downplayed Kyrgios’ criticisms. At the start of the US Open, which he ultimately won, Sinner was asked about Kyrgios’ comments. He responded, “I don’t want to respond to what he said. Everyone is free to say everything. It’s okay. If that is the case, let’s see. It’s gonna be different for sure. I’m always quite relaxed. I’m someone who forgets things quite fast.”
While Sinner chose not to engage in a verbal sparring match, he did note that some people in the tennis world can be “sick,” and acknowledged that his experiences have helped him identify who his true friends are. “It helps me to see who my friends are and who are not my friends. I wish nobody has to go through this experience to grow, but you also realize that there is life outside of tennis, which is much more important,” he reflected.
As the Australian Open approaches, it remains to be seen if Kyrgios will have the opportunity to face Sinner and put his plans into action.
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