What did Nick Kyrgios say about Jannik Sinner to cause controversy and pushback from fans amid Italian's doping test row? All you need to know
Nick Kyrgios said that he wanted to play Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open and that he would turn the match into an "absolute riot". The Aussie has taken several digs at the Italian amid his doping saga.
Just before the US Open, it was announced that the World No. 1's samples tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol during this year's Indian Wells Masters. However, he did not face suspension as the International Tennis Integrity Agency cleared him of any wrongdoing after it was found out that a tiny part of the substance entered his body while he was being massaged by his then-physio.
Since then, Nick Kyrgios has often spoken out against Jannik Sinner's doping case, taking numerous digs at the Italian. The Aussie recently appeared on the Nothing Major podcast hosted by American tennis players Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, John Isner, and Steve Johnson and said that he wanted to face the World No. 1.
"I just want to go out there and I really want to play Sinner. Like I'm waiting for it man," Kyrgios said.
When Querrey asked the Aussie about his game plan against Jannik Sinner, Kyrgios responded by saying that he would get the crowd to be against the Italian if the two locked horns at the Australian Open, adding that he would turn the match into an "absolute riot"
"Well, I thought about this and I've been thinking, I've been talking about it a little bit, like if I played him in Australian Open, like I would get every single person in the crowd to just like get on him. Like I would just turn it into an absolute riot. Like I would lose all respect, all respect would go out the window and I would just do anything to win," the 29-year-old said.
Nick Kyrgios received a lot of flak from fans for his comments on Sinner.
During his appearance on the Nothing Major podcast, the Aussie also spoke about what part of the Italian's doping controversy made him angry.
"This guy is rubbing cream all over his body that gives him (referring to Jannik Sinner) some crazy aura. It's not fair. That's why I'm angry about it," the 29-year-old said.
Sinner's doping controversy is one of the two high-profile controversies in tennis lately, with women's World No. 2 Iga Swiatek being handed a one-month suspension after testing positive for Trimetazidine.
Kyrgios took a dig at both Swiatek and Sinner when he said that players could not act like the victim when caught doping.
"Once you get caught you can't act like the victim. That's what pisses me off even more. I'm like, 'hold on a second,'" the Aussie said.
Jannik Sinner and Nick Kyrgios have faced one another just once before
If Nick Kyrgios and Jannik Sinner meet at the Australian Open, it will be their second encounter. The last time they faced one another was during the fourth round of the Miami Open, with the Italian winning 7-6(3), 6-3. The two were also supposed to lock horns in the fourth round of that year's BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, but Sinner had to withdraw from the fixture due to an illness.
Nick Kyrgios hasn't played on the ATP Tour since the 2023 BOSS Open in Stuttgart and he is set to make his comeback at the 2025 Brisbane International. Before that, the 29-year-old is set to appear at the World Tennis League, an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi. He is a part of the Kites along with Casper Ruud, Jasmine Paolini, and Simona Halep.
Jannik Sinner, on the other hand, is in his offseason after enjoying the year of his life in 2024. The Italian won two Grand Slams at the Australian Open and the French Open while also winning the ATP Finals. He finished his season by helping Italy win the Davis Cup.