WIMBLEDON

Kyrgios admits he spat on a fan at Wimbledon

Australian player Nick Kyrgios said he still loved the SW19 tournament but railed at “a whole generation of people” who felt they had the right to comment.

TOBY MELVILLEREUTERS

Nick Kyrgios, who settled his Wimbledon debut in five sets on Tuesday, admitted that he spat at a fan who insulted him during his match against Britain’s Paul Jubbs. The Australian, who argued during the match with the chair umpire and a lineswoman, recognized that he also had problems with the public, that they were insulting him, and that his response was to spit on them.

Kyrgios: “I love Wimbledon...”

“I’m just starting to think that it’s normal when it’s really not. I didn’t say anything to the crowd until they started just every time I came down to the far end, people just going,” the Australian said.

“Of one of the people disrespecting me, yes. I would not be doing that to someone who was supporting me. As soon as I won the match, I turned to him... I’ve been dealing with hate and negativity for a long time, so I don’t feel like I owed that person anything.

“He literally came to the match to just not even support anyone really. It was more just to stir up and disrespect. There’s a fence there and I physically can’t do anything or say anything because I will get in trouble, so they just feel that they can just say anything they want,” he added.

Kyrgios was also unhappy with a line judge about a call on a point in the opening set, adamant that the wrong call was made.

“I said most of the umpires are older and I just don’t think that’s ideal when you’re playing a sport of such small margins. Factually people that are younger have better eyesight,” he said.

“When you’re playing at a sport for hundreds and thousands of dollars, do you not think that we should have people that are really ready to call the ball in or out?”

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