Nick Kyrgios gets brutally honest on what is fair punishment for racket abuse
11/19/2023 08:00 AM
Nick Kyrgios highlighted that he "does not condone" breaking rackets and shared that he believes a fair punishment for racket abuse is a code violation and fine. Kyrgios, 28, has a long history of breaking and destroying rackets on the court. When asked about a proper punishment for racket abuse, Kyrgios acknowledged that he has a history when it comes to smashing rackets. But also, Kyrgios said that over the last few years he has been doing his best to lower his racket abuse because he is aware that there are kids watching his matches and looking up to him. "I think there have to be levels to it. I think a code violation and fine, you know, however much the tournament wants to fine me. I think there has to be a penalty for it. Now I understand how many people are watching and I'm a role model to so many of the youth. So, I never condone the behavior. At the time, I'm just frustrated but there definitely should be a penalty. The Tour has fines for that. I have paid all of them, I have never not paid any fine, I have given back. I think last year I only broke one racket, that's not too bad," Kyrgios said on Tennis Channel.
Kyrgios on how much he has accumulated in finesWhat is a fair punishment for racquet abuse? Experts @AndyRoddick & @NickKyrgios chime in 🎾#TCLive
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 17, 2023
Kyrgios is no stranger to receiving hefty fines for racket abuse or some other on-court stuff. Last year, Kyrgios was slapped with a $14k fine for destroying two rackets after his US Open quarterfinal loss to Karen Khachanov. This past October, Kyrgios was a guest on Mike Tyson's podcast. There, Kyrgios shared that he has paid "almost $500k in fines" so far in his career. “The fans have always supported me, and I’ve accumulated almost $500,000 in fines. I’ve done things my way, and that’s why I admire people like Dennis Rodman,” Kyrgios said on Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson.
