From insulting linesmen, to spitting at fans, to insulting opponents, to admitting to assaulting a former girlfriend and even “fanboying” misogynist Andrew Tate, Nick’s antics Kyrgios should mean he’s noticeably “off” when it comes to appearing on one of the most prestigious televised sporting events on the calendar.
Yet BBC executives enthusiastically signed up Kyrgios, nicknamed “the bad boy of tennis”, for this year’s Wimbledon – and even joked that “anything can happen”.
The Australian-born player, 29, will take up his expert seat at SW19 unless he is considered “match fit” to play.
Kyrgios has been limited to just one competitive match in 19 months due to nagging wrist, knee and foot injuries, making it more than likely he will be an expert alongside 2021 champion Ashleigh Barty.
But the move has sparked particular outrage from senior MPs and women’s rights campaigners, who say Kyrgios should not be given a privileged role at the BBC, after admitting to assaulting an ex-girlfriend in February last year.
Kyrgios was given no criminal record after a magistrate in Canberra, Australia, deemed the incident “a single act of stupidity or frustration.”
‘Bad boy’: Despite a criminal record as long as his service, Nick Kyrgios announced as pundit for BBC’s Wimbledon coverage this year
The Australian player, pictured in 2015 with Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka, is never far from controversy – on and off the pitch.
Caroline Nokes, chair of the women and equalities committee, said the BBC should “hang its head in shame”, she told the Telegraph.
Ms Nokes said: “Not content with systematically underpaying their own female staff and kicking women out once they reach a certain age, they are now bringing in a man who admitted assaulting a woman for Wimbledon .”
Women’s Aid also expressed concern over his appointment.
In a statement, the charity – which supports victims of domestic abuse – said: “We know from the survivors we speak to that when perpetrators of domestic abuse are seen as continuing in public life as usually, and especially when they have a public platform, it sends the message that domestic violence is not taken seriously by society.
“There are many potential Wimbledon experts – why choose to employ an aggressor?
Kyrgios admitted in court that he pushed Chiara Passari to the sidewalk during an argument in Canberra in 2021.
After escaping conviction for assault, he said in a statement: “I was in the wrong place when this happened and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way that I deeply regret.” did he declare.
“I know it was wrong and I am sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused.”
However, he sparked controversy again in the eyes of women’s activists when in February he showed support on social media for misogynist influencer Andrew Tate.
Tate, alongside his brother Tristan and two Romanian women, face charges in Romania of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang aimed at sexually exploiting women – allegations they deny.
Kyrgios shared a Valentine’s Day message from Tate that read “What is love if not obsession?”
Kyrgios with his former girlfriend Chiari Passari, who he admitted to assaulting in 2021, but the tennis player escaped a criminal record
Kyrgios shared the post with his own caption: “I agree. Talking about the facts as usual.
Fans were quick to blast Kyrgios for his comments, due to Tate’s history of misogynistic views and alleged hate speech on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Please tell me you’re not a fan of a loser misogynist like Tate?!?!? Damn,’ a fan posted on X.
“Brother, please get your act together,” another fan posted.
Despite having 8.7 million followers on social media platform X, Tate claims there is no evidence against him and alleges a political conspiracy to silence him.
He has already been banned from several major social media platforms due to misogynistic views and hate speech.
In 20222, pundits, players and celebrities slammed “bad guy” Nick Kyrgios for spitting in the direction of a fan, verbally insulting linesmen and shoveling sushi during a press conference.
The Australian called a linesman a ‘snitch with no fans’ for reporting his abuse and suggested another was over 90 and ‘couldn’t see the ball’ during his five-game win sets against Briton Paul Jubb during the tournament.
Nick Kyrgios has an unrivaled on-court record that gives John McEnroe, tennis’ first bad boy, a run for his money
But that’s nothing unusual for the Canberra-born pro, who has an unrivaled on-court record that gives John McEnroe, tennis’ first bad boy, a run for his money.
He once threw a tantrum because he didn’t have a white towel at the 2019 Rogers Cup, threw a chair onto the court while losing to Novak Djokovic at the Italian Open the same year and threw a tennis racket at a ball boy at Indian. Wells in March 2022.
Kyrgios has also repeatedly targeted his rivals – literally, when he admitted to deliberately targeting Rafael Nadal during their second-round match at Wimbledon in 2019, saying he wanted to “hit him right in the chest”.
He once called Bernard Tomic “stupid” and “irrelevant”, before telling Swiss Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka during the game that his friend had “hit your girlfriend, mate”, causing him to earned a £10,000 fine and a 28-day suspension.
Kyrgios is a controversial choice as a pundit for women’s rights activists who say he should not have been given the Wimbledon pundit role.
During his Wimbledon final defeat to Novak Djokovic two years ago, BBC commentator Andrew Castle was even forced to apologize on air when the Australian hothead was heard swearing loudly in front of a crowd that included Prince George.
Off the field, the seemingly impulsive behavior is just as colorful and includes drinking the night before a potentially career-defining match and allegations of cheating by his partners.
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