Good boy vibes – Kyrgios vows to ‘keep a lid’ on his behaviour after ATP sanction
After receiving a suspended fine and ban from the ATP Tour, Nick Kyrgios has pledged to be on his best behaviour during probation.
Nick Kyrgios has pledged to keep his emotions under wraps after he received a suspended fine and ban from the ATP Tour.
The 24-year-old caused controversy at the Western & Southern Open in August when he hurled abuse at umpire Fergus Murphy in a defeat to Karen Khachanov, while he also smashed two rackets during an unpermitted bathroom break.
Kyrgios was initially fined $113,000, but an investigation from the ATP deemed the Australian had “committed aggravated behaviour” and was also guilty of a “pattern of behaviour” when it came to verbally abusing officials or spectators.
A $25,000 fine and 16-week ban from the Tour were handed to Kyrgios on Thursday, though both are deferred for six months, with the world number 27 placed on probation and under orders to avoid any code violations that result in a fine for verbal or physical abuse, unsportsmanlike conduct or visible obscenities.
Taking to his official Instagram account, Kyrgios told his fans to stay relaxed, while promising to be “on my best behaviour” to avoid triggering the sanctions, though insisting he will not take any of the fun out of his playing style.
“Everyone, I can still play, I’m just on probation, relax,” Kyrgios wrote in a post shared on his Instagram story.
“I’ll be playing and tennis will still be fun, it’s ok, I just have to keep a lid on my behaviour, that’s all.”
Kyrgios then followed up his first post with a picture of him in action, captioned “good boy vibes”, as he took the punishment in his stride.
Earlier on Thursday, Kyrgios confirmed he was pulling out of the Asian swing with a collarbone injury, though he could return in November for the Davis Cup finals.
