Nick Kyrgios was fuming after being beaten to an award by compatriot Ash Barty as the Australian Open champion won her fifth consecutive Newcombe Medal. The award celebrates and recognizes the performances, achievements, and contributions made by members of the Australian tennis family each year.
Barty shocked the world when she retired back in March, but not before breaking the Australian Open’s 44-year wait for an Australian champion after reigning in Adelaide. Following her latest Newcombe Medal success an infuriated Kyrgios felt as though maybe he should have won the award.
He took to his Instagram stories and re-posted a picture from a sports outlet which compared the success he attained this year to that of Barty’s. “LOL. No respect at all. I don’t give a f**k,” he wrote. Kyrgios won four titles in 2022 whereas Barty won three, and the big-serving star won 61 matches this year compared to just 14 from the former world number one.
They also won a slam each, with Kyrgios winning the Australian Open men’s doubles crown alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis while Barty lifted the women’s singles title. Kyrgios reached the Wimbledon final this past summer, but was defeated by Novak Djokovic in four sets. The tennis star qualified for the ATP Finals doubles event last month and finished inside the singles world’s top 25.
Barty, on the other hand, relished receiving the award in front of her family at the Australian Tennis Awards ceremony in Melbourne on Monday. “I stand here very proudly knowing that I absolutely fulfilled every ounce that I could to this beautiful sport and it brought me so much more than I could have ever dreamed,” she said.
“It’s obviously an amazing way to cap off what has been an incredible journey,” Barty added. “The journey of a lifetime, the journey of me chasing after my dreams and exploring what was possible out in the world.” Looking ahead to next year, Kyrgios doubled-down his decision to play at next year’s French Open primarily because his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi wants to visit the city.
He hasn’t featured at the Parisian Grand Slam since 2017, and has not progressed further than the third round. His disdain for the clay was clear to see in November 2021 when he claimed the French Open is the 'worst Grand Slam' of them all and even suggested that the tournament should even be removed from the calendar.
But to fulfil his partner's wish, Kyrgios will add the French Open to his schedule next year. “My girlfriend wants to see Paris, so I'm going to play at Roland Garros 2023,” the world number 22 said again after confirming the same stance back in April.
“It will be good for me to earn a little more money, although I would have preferred to stay at home. I know that I can do great results on clay; I have beaten Roger, Wawrinka, I played a final in Estoril... My girl wants to see the city so I will have to go this year".
