Tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios is facing suspension and a heavy fine following the tantrum that led to his default from the Italian Open on Thursday.
Just hours after an explosive interview with the No Challenges Remaining podcast, where he ripped into Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Fernando Verdasco, Australian Kyrgios stormed out of his second-round clash with Casper Ruud after hurling a chair on to the court.
The match was subsequently awarded to the world No.76, who’ll now face Juan Martin del Potro for a place in the quarter-finals.
The ATP have confirmed Kyrgios will lose $33,635 in prize money from the tournament in addition to 45 ATP points, and said there’s likely be further punishment pending an investigation.
Umpire Ruud later claimed that many players were debating how long Kyrgios should be suspended for.
“It doesn’t seem like anything makes him change these days,” Ruud said.
“The ATP should do something. … I’m not the only one who thinks he should be suspended for at least half a year.”