"You think Nick Kyrgios isn't a bad guy, then he does stuff like that" - Serena Williams' ex-coach "disgusted" by Aussie siding with Andrew Tate

Serena Williams' former coach, Rennae Stubbs, recently expressed her dismay and stated that she was "disgusted" with Nick Kyrgios concurring with Andrew Tate's remarks earlier this month.

Tate, a former kickboxer, is a polarizing figure known for his unorthodox perspectives on masculinity and feminism. In 2022, he made severely negative headlines when he was arrested in Romania on charges of rape, human trafficking, violence, and ties to an organized crime syndicate. On Valentine's Day, Andrew Tate took to X (formerly Twitter) and stated:

"What is love if not obsession?"

Nick Kyrgios agreed with Tate's statement and retweeted it, writing that the kickboxer was "speaking facts as usual."

"I agree. Speaking facts as usual," Kyrgios posted on X.

During a recent episode of the 'Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast,' Stubbs gave her thoughts on Nick Kyrgios retweeting Andrew Tate. She expressed that while it was not surprising that Kyrgios agreed with Tate's remarks, it "disgusted" her.

"Oh, f*ck me. I don’t even know if it surprised me, just that it disgusted me. Nick is that kind of guy. He's such an enigma. It’s like because I spent a lot of time with him in Melbourne this year ‘cause he did a lot of work for ESPN as he did with Eurosport things, so you would have spent some time around him. He’s very pleasant to be around," Rennae Stubbs said (at 53.40).

Stubbs went on to mention that after meeting Kyrgios and engaging in conversation with him, one might initially perceive him as a pleasant individual but then he would contradict himself by aligning himself with a controversial figure like Tate.

"You can really have a nice conversation with him. He becomes like a little bit of a boy, a little kid, not in a dumb way; he looks interested or wants to talk about stuff. So you think okay, ‘he's not a bad guy; Nick's a decent guy.’ And then he does stuff like that, and you're like, ‘What the h*ll, dude?’" Stubbs said.

"This guy [Andrew Tate] is up for like rape and children and assault and trafficking children. Whatever you think, if you think he’s guilty or not guilty, you do not touch this guy. You do not go on the internet and retweet or say anything to this bro, at all," she added.

Former German tennis player Andrea Petkovic stated that she believed Kyrgios retweeted Andrew Tate to seek attention - by provoking the public, he was hoping to garner immense attention for himself.

"Unless you want attention and provocation, I don’t know why he would need that. He had in terms of broadcasting and just attention wise he had a great Australian Open. People loved his commentary, and people loved that he brought something new and that kind of energy. It was new, it was younger, and he had a great Australian Open. So did he just let a week or two go by and he felt I don’t know, bored and left out?" Petkovic remarked.

Nick Kyrgios on his on-court behavior: "It's just passion, I don’t even think I take it too far at times"

Nick Kyrgios at the 2022 Australian Open

Nick Kyrgios is known for his intense, unpredictable behavior on the tennis court. He has faced fines, point deductions, and even game penalties for his unsportsmanlike conduct during a match.

Last month, during a conversation with renowned British chef Gordon Ramsay on 'Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios,' the former World No. 13 justified his actions by explaining that his outbursts were fueled by his passion for the game, rather than directed at anyone else.

"It’s just passion, like when I get angry on the court, I’m not doing it because I’m mad at someone else. I’m just upset ‘cause I know that I can do better," Nick Kyrgios said.

The Australian admitted that his tendency to swear and smash racquets could been seen as a bad example for young fans, but he maintained that he never crosses a line and simply channeled his intense love for tennis.

"But for me, when I take it too far, in the tennis world, swearing, for instance, is frowned upon. Well, I don’t even think I take it too far at times. Obviously, if I smash a racket, yeah, whatever for the youth that are looking up, but it’s just passionate at the end of the day," he added.

Nick Kyrgios reiterated that his on-court antics are a way to motivate himself to perform at his best, rather than a reflection of anger towards others.

"For me, I’m trying to get the best out of myself, but I never understand people that say that I was taking it too far. It’s like I’m just passionate about what I do—hours and hours on end, the years that I’ve put into this—and I’m not playing the way I want to be playing," Nick Kyrgios said.