A furious Nick Kyrgios launched a tirade at umpire Carlos Bernardes during his quarter-final loss to Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells.
With the match locked at one-set all, Kyrgios faced break point at 3-3 in the third set when a spectator yelled out between his first and second serves.
Kyrgios double faulted to hand Nadal a 4-3 lead in the decisive set, giving the fan a sarcastic thumbs up after the second serve went long.
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“How long are you going to let that go on for?” Kyrgios said to Bernardes.
“How long?” he screamed.
“How long, bro?”
“If you did something about it before, maybe it wouldn’t have happened. It happens again, and again.
“Look at the f—ing score. Look at the score. It’s your job to control that. No-one else.
“Say something. Well done, bro. Unbelievable job of controlling the crowd. Between first and second serves the guy was screaming out loud.”
Bernardes then issued a plea for calm in the crowd.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as a courtesy to the players, please do not shout between first and second serves, like happened in the last game. Please, respect the players.”
That break of serve proved the difference, with Nadal taking the match, 7-6 (7-0) 5-7 6-4 to record his 19th win from as many matches this year.
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The third set also saw Hollywood star Ben Stiller dragged into the drama, when a spectator heckled Kyrgios.
“Are you good at tennis?” Kyrgios asked the fan, who replied in the negative.
“Exactly, so why are you speaking,” Kyrgios continued, before pointing at Stiller.
“Do I tell him how to act? No.”
Earlier, Kyrgios dropped the first set when he was given a point penalty on set point.
Trailing 6-0 in the tiebreaker, Kyrgios was given a code violation for an audible obscenity directed at a spectator. As it was his second code violation, it came with a point penalty, handing Nadal the set on a silver platter.
The Australian had earlier been warned after he smashed his racquet. That came after Nadal won a point on a lucky break from a net cord.
The second set went on serve until the 12th game, when Kyrgios broke Nadal to take the set 7-5.
The Australian had an early chance to break in the third set, with Nadal’s first service game going nearly seven minutes, with Kyrgios unable to convert two break point opportunities.
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“Kyrgios will be furious with himself,” said former player Colin Fleming in commentary.
“He’ll feel like that was a massive chance. The double faults, a couple of break points, but still the Spaniard holds.”
Nadal is unbeaten in 2022, taking out ATP titles in Melbourne and Acapulco, as well as his 21st grand slam at the Australian Open.
He’s had a long rivalry with Kyrgios since they first met in 2014, when the Australian wildcard stunned Nadal in the opening round of Wimbledon.
In 2019, Nadal accused Kyrgios of “lacking respect” after a match in Acapulco, one of the three times Kyrgios has beaten the Spaniard in their eight matches.
That rivalry boiled over in the first set today, with Kyrgios taking an early shot at Nadal. With Nadal serving at 1-1, Kyrgios had double break point at 15-40.
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The Australian was on top early in the point, when a Nadal forehand caught the frame of his racquet, landing on the outside of the line and drawing Kyrgios wide. That opened up the court for Nadal to win the point with a forehand down the line.
Kyrgios could only look on, bemused, as he muttered in the direction of the umpire.
“Not going to say sorry for that shank?” he asked Nadal.
The Australian secured the break when Nadal double faulted on the next point, only to give up the break later in the set, allowing the Spaniard to force the tie breaker.
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