Fashion rebel Nick Kyrgios was unabashed after he faced a line of questioning on his latest breach of the rules at Wimbledon on Monday.
The Australian firebrand was dubbed 'disrespectful' by some fans after walking onto Centre Court for his fourth-round match against Brandon Nakashima sporting a pair of red and white Nike Air Jordan Dunks. He then conducted his on-court interviews wearing a red cap, both of which clearly violated SW19's longstanding all-white dress code.
Kyrgios will face Chile's Cristian Garin in the Wimbledon quarter-finals after beating Nakashima 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-2. The 27-year-old was fined $10,000 (around £8,200) earlier in the tournament for spitting at a spectator but could face further punishment for the latest display of rebellion.
"We all know the Wimbledon dress code rules are very strict," asked one journalist on Monday before reciting Wimbledon's dress code rule. "'Competitors must be dressed in suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white, and this applies from the point in which the player enters the court surround. Why then would you walk on centre court with bright red trainers on and do an interview in a red cap?"
Although he stopped short of agreeing with the suggestion that he was " above the rules," Kyrgios retorted he broke the dress code because he 'does what he wants.' When it was put to the Canberran that he's the only player in either draw who hadn't stuck to the rules, he replied: "But nobody else, even after Wimbledon, nobody else really walks with Jordans on the court."
This marks only the second time in Kyrgios' career that he's reached the last eight at Wimbledon, having previously done so in his debut eight years ago. After winning the Australian Open men's doubles crown with Thanasi Kokkinakis earlier this year, he has another chance to hush his critics in London.
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When it was put to the player that he had merely "laughed off" this latest controversy, Kyrgios almost taunted officials in his response. "Well it's more attention for me," he said. "What's that saying? Any publicity is good publicity, right?"
It's possible Kyrgios' actions could lead to a rise in players ignoring the dress code at Wimbledon. Women's apparel has been a particular talking point over the years, with certain players raising umbrage with the restrictive all-white policies.
Seemingly happy to accept any penalty that may be coming his way provided he can wear what he wants, Kyrgios may not have seen the last of this year's fines at SW19. The title contender is enjoying some of the best tennis of his career leading up to the final stages of this year's Grand Slam, attracting the spotlight through much more than his on-court performances alone.
