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Nick Kyrgios lashed out at some members of the crowd attending his match against Rafael Nadal at the Indian Wells Masters on Thursday. A few individuals in the stadium kept distracting both players while they served, with chair umpire Carlos Bernardes also getting cross.
The Aussie lost 7-6(0), 5-7, 6-4 to Nadal in a match filled with drama both on and off the court. Kyrgios was heckled and disturbed by audience members throughout the match. There were instances when the Aussie lost his cool and lashed out at fans while on the court.
Speaking to the press after his defeat, Kyrgios was asked if he found his situation similar to Naomi Osaka's, in which the Japanese was driven to tears by crowd heckling at Indian Wells.
Nick Kyrgios answered in the negative and asserted that he is not someone who expects the lion's share of support in matches against players of Nadal's ilk.
"Well, for me it wasn't so much similar to Osaka's situation, but I definitely do think that, I don't know, like, I was actually speaking to some of the physios," Nick Kyrgios said. "Like, I'm not expecting the crowd to go for me. Like, I know when you play Rafa, like, 99 percent of the crowd is going to go for these guys. And I'm not asking for the crowd to go for me or cheer my name or go nuts for me when I'm winning or losing or anything."
The 26-year-old reiterated that fans should not distract players while they prepare to serve.
"I just want people to know that you're a spectator," the Aussie added. "You've bought tickets to come watch us play. At least don't scream out before first and second serve. That's all I'm asking for. I'm not asking, and that's both ways."
Not one to keep quiet, Kyrgios further expressed his annoyance at the unruly fans, who he believes are part of only the present generation.
"And I think it's just this generation. Everyone feels like their opinion is valid. Like, when you're a spectator and you're watching professionals play tennis, you should just be quiet. Do you know what I mean? Like, don't tell me how to play. Like, you could not win a single point against Rafael Nadal. Just sit on your seat and watch me play tennis. That's it. Period."
According to the Aussie, such fans fail to understand the fact that tennis players are human and are prone to moments of weakness. But that, according to Kyrgios, should not give fans the license to target a player, especially when they are playing.
"And they think that they have some sort of right to scream out to players like they did with Osaka the other night. Like, it affects people," Kyrgios said. "Like, we're only human. We're not some sort of super human with armor who, sometimes I do throw a racquet and it may get close to someone. Like, I'm not perfect, but like, what I'm saying is you can't do that to people."
"Like, you can't scream out and aggressively scream at people from the crowd," he added. "Like, just sit and enjoy the show. Like, we're putting on, I thought it was a decent match. I thought it was a pretty high level match and I'm just asking for a little bit of respect."
"It is getting worse because of social media" - Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios believes crowd behavior is getting worse due to the unchecked growth of social media. He reckons social media gives average joes the platform to take aim at top stars.
The Aussie highlighted how unnecessary hate has affected top-tier athletes such as Naomi Osaka, Russell Westbrook, and himself.
"It is getting worse because of social media, people think that they're relevant all of a sudden. Like, you're not relevant," the Aussie said. "You have a little social media account that you type to people on. You spread negativity. It's embarrassing, and you can see how it affects people. It's affecting Westbrook. It affects people. It affects Osaka. It affected me for years and it's not okay."
"Like, if you got to, I don't know. Like, it's just people just so quick to hate and, like, how can you hate on someone for just trying to be different or just going about it differently. Do you know what I mean? It's ridiculous."
Also Check Out: Indian Wells Masters 2022 Results
