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 this year but was offered an invite to men's doubles.
Kyrgios and Bublik lose in straight sets
Kyrgios teamed up with world number 11 Alexander Bublik but were outplayed by the sixth seed pairing of Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic. The duo lost the first set 6-3, and Kyrgios, known for his on-court misdemeanours, grew increasingly frustrated.
At the start of the second set, Kyrgios was broken and had a heated exchange with the chair umpire. The umpire reminded Kyrgios that the first game of a set is not considered a changeover, so players must change ends quickly without taking extra time. While Arevalo and Pavic stood up for a drink, both Kyrgios and Bublik sat down until the umpire intervened.
Kyrgios: 'Fine me, I don't care'
'Honestly, at this point you can fine me, I honestly don't even care,' Kyrgios told the umpire. 'Honestly you can fine me, I don't give a s***. All these rules are so dumb anyway.' Kyrgios and Bublik went on to lose the second set 6-4, exiting Wimbledon at the earliest possible opportunity.
Kyrgios's injury struggles and return
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 three years. He 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,' Kyrgios 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.'
