Video: Nick Kyrgios, Steve Johnson Involved in NSFW Exchange at 2019 US Open
August 28, 2019
Nick Kyrgios added to his highlight reel of on-court outbursts during his first-round win over Steve Johnson at the 2019 U.S. Open, taking aim at the crowds for walking during his points and being too rowdy.
He was far from happy with the umpire, while Johnson wasn't too keen on Kyrgios' behaviour (warning: NSFW language):
When Kyrgios took his grievance about crowd noise and movement to the umpire, Johnson was heard saying, "Do you want to play f--king tennis or host a s--t show?"
Per MailOnline's Danny Gallagher, Kyrgios also said himself, "You could not have picked a more boring sport as a profession," while out on court.
ESPN provided more video:
Kyrgios and Johnson appeared to have made up by the end of the match, with the Australian calling his opponent "one of my good mates in the locker room."
That didn't stop him from making more headlines after the contest, however.
Per AAP (for ESPN), he was asked about the $113,000 fine he received after an outburst in Cincinnati earlier this month, and he accused the ATP of corruption: "The ATP is pretty corrupt anyway. I'm not fussed about it at all. I was fined $113,000 for what? Why are we talking about something that happened three weeks ago when I just chopped up someone first round of a U.S. Open?"
The 24-year-old smashed multiple rackets during a loss to Karen Khachanov in Cincinnati, and also called the umpire a "tool." That led to a fine, while the ATP is also considering an additional suspension. He was allowed to play in the U.S. Open, but after this latest outburst, a suspension seems likely.
On the court, Kyrgios took care of business, bagging an impressive win against Johnson, 6-3, 7-6, 6-4:
CNN's Ravi Ubha detailed some of the many controversies Kyrgios has been responsible for, which include tanking, trash-talking opponents and throwing a chair on to the court.Â
He clashed with a fan during the Miami Open earlier this year in a winning effort against Dusan Lajovic.Â