Watch: Nick Kyrgios receives a rare game penalty after argument with chair umpire in 4R loss against Jannik Sinner in Miami

Nick Kyrgios was involved in yet another on-court controversy, this time at the Miami Open. Facing off against Jannik Sinner in the fourth round, the mercurial Australian lost his cool multiple times and went on to throw a temper tantrum that ended up costing him dearly.

The 26-year-old remained in the contest for most of the first set, stretching it to a tie-break after both players held their first six service games. The Australian had been complaining all through the set about the difference in pace between the courts he had played on previously and the one for his last-16 clash with the Italian.

He also ranted about chair umpire Carlos Bernardes for his inability to keep the crowd under control. To add fuel to the fire, the referee's walkie-talkie went off during a crucial point, much to Kyrgios' displeasure. But what pushed him over the edge was the point penalty awarded to him by Carlos Bernardes during the tie-break.

With Kyrgios trailing 3-5, Bernardes penalized the former World No. 13 for unsportsmanlike conduct to give the Italian three set points. Clearly rattled by the incident, the Australian committed a double fault to hand the set to Sinner.

At the end of the set, Nick Kyrgios walked over to the chair umpire and aggressively demanded an explanation for why he was given the penalty. Bernardes responded that he noticed the 26-year-old talking to the crowd about him, thus marking it down as unsportsmanlike conduct.

Kyrgios retaliated by saying that he was just talking to his friends but the confrontation failed to change the umpire's decision. The Australian took out his anger by repeatedly smashing his racquet to the ground. Having already dealt a point penalty, Carlos Bernardes upped the punishment by handing Nick Kyrgios a rare game penalty for his behavior.

The former World No. 13 started the second set 0-1 down as a result and never recovered from the damage of the game penalty. Jannik Sinner went on to break the Australian at 5-3 to take the set and close out the match.

In the quarterfinals, the World No. 11 awaits the winner of the clash between Frances Tiafoe and Francisco Cerundolo.

Kyrgios also refused to shake the umpire's hand at the end of the match. Instead, he verbally abused Bernardes on his way out of the court, calling him a "f***ing r****d."

Nick Kyrgios remains alive in the doubles category alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis

Nick Kyrgios doesn't have to pack his bags from Miami just yet, as he still has his doubles match to look forward to. Partnering with compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis to recreate the team that won the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, the wildcard pair have reached the quarterfinals.

Following a walkover from the all-Russian pair of Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis will take on third seeds Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers for a spot in the semifinals. The wildcards defeated the same team in the semifinals at Melbourne Park and they will go into the contest as slight favorites.

About the author

Shyam is a journalist and content manager who covers tennis at Sportskeeda. He has followed the sport for over two decades and considers Roger Federer the G.O.A.T. Shyam believes in accurate stories that provide detailed knowledge and insight, and strives to bring the same to his readers. Shyam has good understanding of SEO and journalism guidelines.

Know More