Nick Kyrgios admits 'literally throwing tennis matches' if his favourite basketball team has lost

Telegraph Sport
·2 min read
Nick Kyrgios admits 'literally throwing tennis matches' if his favourite basketball team has lost - AP
Nick Kyrgios admits 'literally throwing tennis matches' if his favourite basketball team has lost - AP

Nick Kyrgios has admitted he has "literally thrown tennis matches" if the basketball team he supports has had a bad result.

The mercurial Australian has been in the spotlight at Wimbledon this week after his on-court antics in his first-round clash against Paul Jubb - including spitting at a fan - led to him being fined £8,211.

Kyrgios kept his cool in his second-round match against Filip Krajinovic and faces Stefanos Tsitsipas in round three.

However, in an interview with the Tennis Channel, Kyrgios suggested he had deliberately lost matches if his beloved Boston Celtics had suffered a tough defeat.

"I've literally thrown tennis matches if they've lost in like, double overtime," the Australian said.

"If someone plays me and they know the Celtics have lost, that's your chance. That is for sure your chance, to play me on that day.

"Unlucky for [Stefanos Tsitsipas], the [NBA] season is over. I literally watch like live streams, everything. I barely miss a game and if they lose I am in a pretty bad mood."

It was announced late on Thursday that the 27-year-old had been fined $10,000, just over £8,200, for his behaviour in the first round.

Kyrgios previously admitted spitting in the direction of a fan who was "disrespecting" him, and called a line judge a "snitch", in a testy five-set win.

After beating Krajinovic on Court 2 on Thursday, Kyrgios said: "I guess just from a personal performance standpoint, my performance in my first round was just not where I wanted to be.

"Especially with the way I've been playing and the way I've been training, the hard work I've been doing. I was pretty disappointed in my performance in the first round.

"Then obviously the media's disrespect and just everything, it was just kind of a reminder to put you all back in your place from the performance today."

"I just wanted to, I don't know, just prove to people that, like, I'm really good. I feel like I just don't have the respect sometimes, you know?" he added.

"There was just nothing the media possibly could tell me I did wrong today. I just know that you can't possibly ask me anything and stir anything up.

"And I love it because then you can't write anything. What are you going to say? Nothing today. Dumbfounded all of you."

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