"With you my brother" - Nick Kyrgios defends Holger Rune after his bitter exchange with Stan Wawrinka at Indian Wells 2023
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has extended his support to Holger Rune. Rune got into a fiery exchange with Stan Wawrinka at the net following his third-round loss at the ongoing Indian Wells Masters.
After the match ended 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 in Wawrinka's favor, the players arrived at the net to shake hands with each other. That was when Rune taunted Wawrinka, asking him if he had anything to say to him.
The Swiss, however, replied that he did not know how to respond.
"You've got nothing to say now?" Rune said.
"What do you want me to say?" Wawrinka replied.
This awkward interaction was a sequel to their drama from the Paris Masters last year, where Wawrinka lost 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(3). The Swiss star approached the net after the match and told Rune not to 'act like a baby' on the court.
Nick Kyrgios, who followed the controversy in Indian Wells, took to Instagram to support Rune. The Aussie stated that Wawrinka was in a charitable mood only because he won the match this time.
"Hahahaha yeah all good when you win...typical. @holgerrune with you my brother," Kyrgios captioned his story.
Stan Wawrinka takes on Jannik Sinner in the Round of 16 at Indian Wells Masters
Three-time Grand Slam Champion Stan Wawrinka is into the Round of 16 at the ongoing BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. After taking down Holger Rune in the Round of 32, Wawrinka will now face Italy's Jannik Sinner on Tuesday, March 14.
Wawrinka and Sinner have faced off four times before, with the head-to-head tied at 2-2. The pair last met in the quarterfinals of the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, where the Italian prevailed 6-1, 6-3.
Wawrinka has won 16 ATP titles, including 3 Grand Slams. He has won just one ATP 1000 Masters title in his career though, at Monte Carlo in 2014, where he beat his legendary compatriot Roger Federer 4–6, 7–6(5), 6–2.
At the BNP Paribas Open, Wawrinka's best result came in 2017. That year he reached the final, only to be outclassed by Federer 6-4, 7-5.