Nick Kyrgios is certainly not the most-loved player on the ATP Tour, making his impending return that more exciting.
Kyrgios isn’t sure if he loves tennis, but he is preparing to make his comeback from a lengthy spell out with injury.
The Australian has been suffering with knee and wrist injuries in recent times, but Kyrgios is expected to compete at the 2025 Australian Open.
Kyrgios loves playing at the US Open, but it remains to be seen if his fitness levels can hold out until the end of 2025.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist is set for a warm welcome at his home Grand Slam, with fans undoubtedly excited to see him in action once more.
What happened when Nick Kyrgios received the biggest fine of his career?
But his opponents and indeed many umpires may not have such warm feelings towards the outspoken Australian.
He certainly doesn’t hold back on controversial moments in tennis, but his emotions were taken one step too far at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters.
Kyrgios lost his second round meeting with Karen Khachanov, during which he clashed with umpire Fergus Murphy.
READ MORE: Louis Theroux shares what he noticed about Nick Kyrgios’ behaviour during their recent discussion
And as reported by Reuters at the time of the incident, the ATP fined the controversial figure $113,000 for his actions, which also included smashing several rackets.
Kyrgios accused Murphy of starting the shot clock too early, with the Australian insulting the Irishman with an expletive after being issued a point penalty at the end of the second set tiebreak.
And despite protests from the latter, the former left the court for a supposed bathroom break, with footage showing him destroying rackets in the tunnel.
His $113,000 fine was broken down into five charges of unsportsmanlike conduct ($85,000), verbal abuse ($20,000), audible obscenity ($5,000) and leaving the court ($3,000).
Nick Kyrgios renews Fergus Murphy rivalry after previous fine
Murphy was perhaps expecting fireworks in Cincinnati from Kyrgios, who didn’t shake his hand after he left the court.
The Australian also had a heated exchange with the umpire at the Washington Open just two weeks before Cincinnati, with Kyrgios also fined for an expletive-laden rant at Murphy at Queen’s.
It remains to be seen whether or not the hot-headed ace has cooled since then, with the former world number 13 clearly a very talented player underneath it all, having won seven tour-level titles.
Winding Kyrgios up could be a useful strategy for his opponents when he does make a return to the court, which is set to take place later this month.
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