"My girlfriend felt fine there" - Nick Kyrgios hits back at Daria Kasatkina after being chastised for pro-Saudi Arabia sentiments
Nick Kyrgios has responded to Daria Kasatkina chastising him for his pro-Saudi Arabia sentiments, using the example of his girlfriend to show that the country is not unsafe for women.
With the Middle East nation reportedly looking to make investments in tennis, the Aussie had backed the move. He opines that tennis players can finally get paid what they deserve if the deal comes to fruition.
"Finally. They see the value. We are going to get paid what we deserve to get paid. Sign me up," Kyrgios said.
Kasatkina, though, begged to differ, saying that it might be easier for men but that women do not feel the same way about their rights in Saudi Arabia. The Russian remarked that while Kyrgios might be happy about a big cheque, money isn't the top priority for her.
"It's easier for the men because they feel pretty good there, let's say. We don't feel the same way. So it's going to be, let's say, money talks in our world right now. For me, I don't think that everything is about the money. Unfortunately not everything is dependent just on us, and particularly me, for example."
"Also, as Nick Kyrgios said, he would be so happy to go there just for a big check. For me, money is not No. 1, No. 1 priority in this case, for sure," Daria Kasatkina said in her press conference at Wimbledon.
Responding to the same on social media, Nick Kyrgios, who has previously played in the Diriyah Tennis Cup exhibition event in Saudi Arabia, hit back:
"My girlfriend felt fine there."
@TheTennisLetter @serraleos My girlfriend felt fine there 🤷🏽♂️
During his time in Diriyah, Kyrgios was accompanied by his girlfriend and social media influencer Costeen Hatzi.
The duo posted a lot of their vacation photographs on Instagram, where they were spotted taking in the sights in the country and having a good time.
Nick Kyrgios continues to remain on the sidelines in 2023
On the tennis side of things, 2023 has been a year to forget for Nick Kyrgios. The Australian has played only one competitive match all year, losing to Yibing Wu in the first round in Stuttgart.
He has missed all three Grand Slams with injury, most recently withdrawing from the Wimbledon Championships, where he made the final last year. While he was expected to play at SW19, Kyrgios pulled out at the last minute, saying that his knee hadn't recovered as much as he had hoped it to.