Kyrgios Erupts Over Changeover Rule
Nick Kyrgios marked his return to Wimbledon by swearing at an umpire and saying he 'didn't care' if he was fined. The Australian, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, did not receive a wildcard for men's singles but was offered an invite to men's doubles. He teamed up with world number 11 Alexander Bublik but were outplayed by the sixth seed pairing of Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic.
Kyrgios, infamous for his on-court misdemeanours, cut an increasingly frustrated figure as Arevalo and Pavic won the first set 6-3. The 31-year-old former world number 13 was broken at the start of the second set and had a heated exchange with the chair umpire before the next game.
Umpire Enforces Quick Change of Ends
The umpire reminded Kyrgios that the first game of a set is not considered a changeover, so players are expected to change ends almost immediately rather than taking time on the side of the court. While Arevalo and Pavic stood up while taking a drink, both Kyrgios and Bublik took a seat until the umpire intervened.
'Honestly, at this point you can fine me, I honestly don't even care,' Kyrgios told the Wimbledon umpire. 'Honestly you can fine me, I don't give a s***. All these rules are so dumb anyway.'
Early Exit and Recent Struggles
Kyrgios and Bublik went on to lose the second set 6-4, exiting Wimbledon at the earliest possible opportunity. It was at the All England Club that Kyrgios enjoyed his best Grand Slam run, reaching the 2022 final before losing to Novak Djokovic. Since then, he has endured a torrid run with injuries, failing to win a single Grand Slam match in the past three years. Kyrgios won his first singles match since October 2022 at last month's Stuttgart Open.
'I had a wrist reconstruction, I've had four knee surgeries, so I'm really battling, but at the same time I've put in a lot of work, I'm really feeling good about myself,' he said. 'Honestly, there were so many times I was thinking: "Why am I playing? What more do I need to do?" And I look at you guys [the fans] and this is why I'm playing, so I'll hang around a little longer.'
'I'm pleased with the way I played today, I'm pleased with the way I'm feeling in my body, I've been putting in a lot of work so I'm just really happy to be back. I'm so thrilled to be back, and playing some high-level tennis as well. Confident? I don't know if that is a word I'm feeling quite yet. Obviously, I will see how I feel tomorrow.'
