"Who are some of these players?"- Nick Kyrgios takes potshot at up-and-coming ATP players as youngsters make headway at Croatia Open
Nick Kyrgios has been a bit of a controversial figure in the tennis world with his blunt comments and his on-field behavior. This time, his comments were aimed at budding tennis professionals competing in the 2023 Croatia Open.
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has been sidelined for the majority of the 2023 season. After sustaining multiple injuries this season - a knee and wrist injury - the 28-year-old has been unable to keep up with appearances in the ATP circuit.
His sole participation this year came at the 2023 Stuggart Open where he suffered a first-round loss against Wibing Yu.
However, his current non-participation in the sport hasn't thwarted his outlook toward the ongoing events in the ATP Tour.
The Aussie recently took a potshot at several upcoming pro athletes performing in the ongoing ATP 250 clay-court event. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist took to Twitter to express his strong opinions after a user summarised the recent developments in the Croatia Open in Umag.
After the tweet caught Kyrgios' attention, he sarcastically mocked lower-ranked players in the tour. In his comment, the World No. 35 lampooned players he was supposedly unacquainted with, including fellow Australian player Alexie Popyrin, Dino Prizmic, and Matteo Arnaldi.
"Who are some of these players haha," tweeted Nick Kyrgios.
@crosscourt1 Who are some of these players haha
Kyrgios has often voiced his concerns over the big number of clay-court events on the ATP calendar. Furthermore, the Aussie hasn't participated in the prestigious Roland Garros since 2017.
Meanwhile, in the 2023 Croatia Open, Alexie Popyrin advanced to the semifinal after downing Dino Prizmic in tight sets, 7-6(2), 7-5. The Aussie will now square off against Matteo Arnaldi for a place in the event's concluding round.
"Mikael Ymer is one of the nicest guys on tour and he shouldn't be banned": Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios recently expressed his dismay over Mikael Ymer's 18-month suspension from the sport and extended support to the Swedish player.
Earlier this month, Sweden's top tennis player Mikael Ymer was slapped with an 18-month suspension from the ATP Tour by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The suspension was enforced after he reportedly violated ITF's anti-doping protocols.
Kyrgios recently took to Instagram to host a Q&A session with his fans where he responded to his fans' inquiries. One of his followers asked him to divulge his thoughts on Mikael Ymer's 18-month suspension from the circuit. The World No. 35 commented in support of the Swede, saying:
"Ridiculous. Ymer is one of the nicest guys on the tour and he shouldn't be banned."
Ymer received a career-high ranking of World No. 50 in April this year.