Nick Kyrgios is continuing to call out Jannik Sinner over a positive doping test that didn’t land a suspension as this time the Australian mocked a fan account expressing surprise at Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev’s exits from the US Open.
For more than two weeks now, the 2022 Wimbledon champion has been trying to draw attention to the doping case that stunned the tennis world. And considering how many posts on X he has made since the news dropped, it is clear that the 29-year-old’s goal is not to let people easily forget about it.
In his most recent posts, the former world No. 13 poked a fun at the Italian testing not once but twice for a failed substance but also gave the 2024 Australian Open champion credit for still managing to make the US Open semifinal.
On X, a Sinner fan account posted a GIF of a stunned Italian tennis star which was supposed to show how the majority probably felt about the fact that some of the biggest names concluded their runs at Flushing Meadows earlier than expected.
Reacting to the post, Kyrgios wrote: “When it still shows up in the second test hahahahahaha… I make myself laugh.”
When it still shows up in the second test hahahahahaha… I make myself laugh
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) September 4, 2024
But that wasn’t all.
“Hard not to think about how much more fun this Jannik Sinner run would have felt if we were still in the dark about his whole anti-doping saga this year. The timing of that, and the way it showed a lack of transparency at the top of tennis for months, just leaves a bad taste,” journalist Ben Rothenberg wrote on X.
Over the years, it is not a secret that the seven-time ATP champion hasn’t had the best relationship with Rothenberg. But on this particular topic, they agreed.
“One of your better tweets. Nonetheless not easy to deal with all of this going on and still performing the way he is. Definitely the favourite now,” Kyrgios responded to the journalist’s post.
One of your better tweets. Nonetheless not easy to deal with all of this going on and still performing the way he is. Definitely the favourite now https://t.co/S8gdY0WI3A
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) September 5, 2024
What Kyrgios instantly said and how he defended his position?
After the ITIA announced that Sinner twice tested positive for a prohibited substance but was allowed to clear competing and ultimately avoid any suspension because his team was able to prove that he was a victim of a contaminated product, the Australian tennis star blasted the entire case as “ridiculous” and added that the top-ranked ATP player should have been handed at least a two-year ban.
In the next couple of days, the 29-year-old continued to argue on social media about why he felt that the 23-year-old Italian deserved to be suspended. Then the US Open started and he explained on ESPN why he felt that way.
Nick Kyrgios and Chris Fowler© Instagram screenshot
“I think I stand by every word. Everything I put on social media I have to stand up for. I’ve seen many of my friends go through doping things and being suspended. We’ve seen players like Halep and everyone and it seems like every time one of these things comes up, there’s always a different process for different players,” Kyrgios said on ESPN during his conversation with Chris Fowler.
“It’s nothing against Sinner personally at all. I know how important he is. He’s one of the greatest tennis players we have right now… And how important he’s gonna be for the next 15 years. I’m not denying any of that. Nothing against him personally. If you look at Jenson Brooksby… Players who’ve had their careers taken away for up to a year… And someone like Sinner just kind of doing it his own kind of way. I think he had it on his own terms for most of the time. I don’t think that’s fair and equal for the rest of the tour.”
Sinner on the Kyrgios criticism
On Wednesday, the No. 1 seed made his maiden US Open semifinal after overcoming Daniil Medvedev 6-2 1-6 6-1 6-4. And now, he is battle to battle against Jack Draper for a place in his second Grand Slam final.
While it has been a great run for the Italian so far, the Australian’s constant attacks on him are still drawing a lot of attention. However, the 23-year-old wasn’t interested in addressing than other than stating that everyone was entitled to their own opinion.
Jannik Sinner© YouTube screenshot
“I don’t want to respond on what he said. Everyone is free to say everything. It’s ok. If that is the case, let’s see. It’s gonna be different for sure. I don’t know what to say. Maybe I say something now and then the reaction will be something else. I’m always quite relaxed. I’m someone who forgets things quite fast. Everyone is free to say everything. It is what it is,” Sinner said when asked about the Kyrgios criticism.