It is very natural for players to lose their cool during intense matches. Sometimes frustrations reach a boiling point and players act out and are subsequently fined for it. Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios is no stranger to this. Over the years, the temperamental Aussie has found himself facing the short end of the stick due to his own actions.
Kyrgios recently appeared in the latest episode of Mike Tyson’s podcast. Tyson and Kyrgios spoke on a variety of topics and the tennis star made some interesting revelations. They even touched upon the subject of fines, trading their experiences.
Tyson was involved in one of the most infamous cases in boxing history. Mike was facing off against Evander Holyfield when he bit off the latter’s ear. Tyson paid for it dearly, as he was not only banned from boxing, he was fined $3 million.
While Kyrgios has never done anything as drastic, he has still been involved in a lot of controversies. His on-court behavior has got him into trouble with the authorities several times. Kyrgios, he said has paid about $500,000 in fines so far, which went towards charity.
Kyrgios spoke of admiring NBA star Dennis Rodman, with whom Kyrgios is often compared. Rodman did things his way without fearing judgment. “The fans have always supported me, and I’ve accumulated almost $500,000 in fines. I’ve done things my way, and that’s why I admire people like Dennis Rodman,” said Kyrgios.
Nick Kyrgios has been on the sidelines this year due to injuries. He made quite a lot of interesting revelations and shared personal anecdotes like the time he stayed out drinking before facing Rafael Nadal. Despite being penalized for his behavior, Kyrgios is still an entertainer.
A breakdown of Nick Kyrgios’ fines over the years
The tennis star has had to contend with fines throughout his career. Recently, Kyrgios even commented on an incident involving his compatriot, speculating how much he would be fined. Nick’s comment only proved that he knew a fair bit about fines from his personal experience.
At the Australian Open in 2015, Kyrgios had to pay $4,926 for hurling obscenities and smashing his racket. It continued at Wimbledon too, where he was fined $12,470 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $2,625 for swearing. Kyrgios’ woes did not end there, and he got into trouble for abusing Stan Wawrinka at the Rogers Cup.
With time, the amount Kyrgios had to pay in fines only kept increasing. The most had to pay was at Cincinnati Masters in 2019. He was slapped with a fine of $113,000 for five separate counts of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Nick Kyrgios is one of the most entertaining tennis players in recent times. He can fire up a game within a fraction of a second, either with his racket or his words. The tennis community continues to miss him, till he comes back next year.