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Australian tennis sensation Nick Kyrgios has avoided trouble for now as he was handed a 28-day suspension and a fine of $25,000 by the ATP.
The 20-year-old was in the news for hurling verbal abuse at French Open champion Stan Wawrinka during the Rogers Cup earlier this month. The fine and suspension imposed on Kyrgios can be increased if he doesn’t stay out of trouble for the next six months.
"This incident was egregious and reflected poorly on our sport," Gayle Bradshaw, ATP's executive vice president told CNN.
"Nick has expressed regret, and the best result would be that he learns a lesson from this incident and that he understands he is responsible to the Tour and to fellow players for both his actions and his words.
"It is with these factors in mind I feel he should have the opportunity to 'earn' his way out of additional sanctions,” Bradshaw added.
Kyrgios was fined $9500 for “tanking” his match against Richard Gasquet at Wimbledon earlier this year. Donna Vekic was disappinted at Kyrgios’s remarks.
Kyrgios’s compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis was also irked by the way Wimbledon quarterfinalist handled the matter.
"I let him know. I made it pretty clear that he can't be doing that. If he's got a problem, he's got to say it in private," Kokkinakis told Fox Sports as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald.
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic also criticized Kyrgios’s behaviour.
“I think we all agree that he definitely crossed the line by a long shot. We’re not used to that kind of talk in tennis. I know in other sports it’s quite common, maybe normal. Not in our sport, really. I think it’s normal that the tour comes down hard on him and explains to him that it’s not the way forward, the 17-time Grand Slam champion told USA Today.
Djokovic termed the comments “completely unnecessary” and added: “He was fined and he deserved it. He’s learnt a lesson in a hard way.”
Wawrinka, who lost to Djokovic in Cincinnati Masters said he is trying to put it all behind him ahead of the US Open.
"I know myself," he said. "I know how to get ready for a Grand Slam. I know how I deal with everything."
