Nick Kyrgios calls ATP ‘corrupt’ for $100K fine

Nick Kyrgios, of Australia, points out distractions in the crowd during his match against Steve Johnson, of the United States, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, early Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

NEW YORK — Nick Kyrgios called the ATP “corrupt” on Tuesday night for fining him more than $100,000 this month for his behavior during a match.

Asked if that recent punishment from the men’s tour — only the latest in a long series that also included a suspension — affected him mentally coming into the U.S. Open, he replied: “Not at all. ATP’s pretty corrupt, anyway, so I’m not fussed about it at all.”

Kyrgios insulted a chair umpire and left the court to smash two rackets during a second-round loss at the Western & Southern Open this month.

The next day, the ATP listed a breakdown of eight fines ranging from $3,000 to $20,000 each, for violations such as unsportsmanlike conduct, verbal abuse and audible obscenity.

When a reporter asked a follow-up question about his use of the word “corrupt” following his straight-set victory over Steve Johnson that ended past 1 a.m. on Wednesday at Flushing Meadows, Kyrgios first referenced his fines totaling $113,000.

Then he added: “Why are we talking about something that happened three weeks ago, when I just chopped up someone (in the) first round of U.S. Open?”

___