Nick Kyrgios claims he was the victim of racist taunts by tennis fans at the Stuttgart Open in Germany.
Kyrgios reportedly became upset and received a points and game penalty after he argued with the chair umpire between the first and second sets of his match against Andy Murray. He refused to resume playing until a supervisor stepped in.
The Australia native lost to Murray in the semifinals and later said on Instagram that he was called a “little black sheep” and told to “shut up and play” by the crowd.
“When is this going to stop?” he asked. “Dealing with racial slurs from the crowd? I UNDERSTAND THAT MY BEHAVIOUR ISNT THE BEST ALL THE TIME – but ‘you little black sheep’ ‘shut up and play’ little comments like this are NOT ACCEPTABLE. When I retaliate to the crowd, I get penalised. This is messed up.”
Tournament organizers released a statement Sunday denouncing any form of discrimination, apologizing to Kyrgios and announcing the incident is under investigation. Kyrgios said he has experienced similar racism from fans at tournaments in Indian Wells, Calif.
“One thing I won’t ever tolerate is spectators heckling and blasting abuse to athletes,” Kyrgios wrote on Instagram. “It’s been happening personally to me for a while, from racist comments to complete disrespect. For years it’s been something I’ve brushed off but especially in Indian wells and today all the way in Stuttgart, it’s made me realise that people seem to think it’s normal.”
Kyrgios mentioned that he has seen it happen to athletes in other sports, as the Nets and Kyrie Irving pointed out in Boston during last year’s playoff series against the Celtics. He took responsibility for not always handling his emotions well.
“We are playing FOR YOU, whether you are backing the opponent or not,” Kyrgios wrote. “You may not think it’s a big deal, but it could affect someone’s life more than you think. Wake up to yourselves. Not just in tennis, but in every other sport. My young athletes, coloured or not, I hope that this message is heard so you don’t ever have to feel alienated, or embarrassed to be you and to perform on the world stage.”
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