Nick Kyrgios says he needs a break from tennis, but claims to have no idea if officials will send him on an enforced holiday following the most turbulent month of his rollercoaster career.
Kyrgios blew a golden opportunity for a deep US Open run in a 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5) third-round loss to Andrey Rublev before addressing the hottest topic in tennis.
The sport’s most divisive star and fast becoming its biggest drawcard, Kyrgios is the subject of separate ATP investigations into his conduct in Cincinnati and New York over the past three weeks.
He faces potential bans of up to 12 months for the two “major offences” – calling Irish umpire Fergus Murphy a “potato” and “f…ing tool” and spitting in his direction in Cincinnati and subsequently accusing the ATP of being “pretty corrupt” after they slapped him with a $US113,000 fine.
The Australian was heard complaining: “I don’t even want to be here. I just want to go home” during his US Open loss to Rublev on Saturday night.
“I guess I’ve been on the road five and a half months now. It’s not easy,” Kyrgios explained during his post-match press conference before being asked if that meant he’d welcome a suspension.
“I don’t know if I look at it like that,” he said.
“I don’t know. I have no say in it. I guess it’s out of my control.”
Asked how he thought officials should deal with him, Kyrgios said sarcastically: “I guess I’m a pretty boring player. I don’t bring much to the sport, so …”
Kyrgios will turn his attention to his second-round doubles match on Sunday with Romania’s Marius Copil before contemplating a break – enforced or otherwise – after leading Team World against Team Europe at the third edition of the Laver Cup later this month in Geneva.
“I mean, I got the very important Asia swing. Don’t want to miss that,” said Kyrgios, mindful that many of his previous brushes with authority – including a suspension in 2015 – came after two tanks at the Shanghai Masters.