Former world No. 7 Marion Bartoli has expressed frustration on Nick Kyrgios’ controversial remarks. Her comments follow the Australian’s latest public attacks on world No. 1 Jannik Sinner after the Italian’s recent doping controversy.
The Australian tennis star has repeatedly taken public swipes at the Italian tennis star since it was revealed that the world No. 1 failed two anti-doping tests. The Italian tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol in March and was provisionally suspended. However, he successfully appealed the suspension and was cleared to return to competition immediately.
Bartoli’s Frustration with Kyrgios’ Provocative Remarks
In a recent interview on Les Grandes Gueules du Sport on RMC Sports, Bartoli expressed her disappointment with Kyrgios’ relentless verbal attacks.
“Let’s be honest, I really want to go out there, and I really want to play Sinner,” Kyrgios had previously stated. “If I played him in the Australian Open, I’d get every person in the crowd to get on him. I would turn into an absolute riot. All respect would go out the window and I would just do anything to win.”
The 29-year-old Australian has been heavily criticized within the tennis community, with Bartoli being the latest voice to speak out.
“I am not surprised because Kyrgios lives and breathes nothing but provocative statements,” Bartoli said. “I would remind you that this is a player who was capable of saying absolute horrors to Stan Wawrinka, who is one of the most polite, most loved, and most respected players on a tennis court, at a Masters 1000 in the middle of a match.
“We don’t even know what’s going through his head. I’m not even going to tell you what he said—those who follow tennis know. Now, with all his provocative statements, after a while, you just get fed up. It’s enough!
“In any case, Sinner isn’t going to respond. And if they play on the court, even if it’s still tennis, on the one hand, we have a player who is world No. 1, has just won two Grand Slams, and has become virtually unbeatable, and on the other, a Nick Kyrgios who hasn’t played in official competition since June 13, 2023.”
The controversy around Sinner began when the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced in August that the Italian had been cleared of any wrongdoing. They concluded that he bore “no fault or negligence” as the substance entered his system through a massage administered by his former physiotherapist.
Sinner avoided a ban but was stripped of his ranking points and prize money from Indian Wells, the tournament where he tested positive. The 29-year-old further added fuel to the fire by expressing his desire to face the 23-year-old at the upcoming Australian Open, threatening to rile up the home crowd against the world No. 1.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
