Nick Kyrgios saw his eventful Wimbledon Championships end with a four-set defeat to Novak Djokovic.
The controversial Australian has had various run-ins with umpires, line judges, opponents, the media and even the crowd during his rollercoaster fortnight.
Here, the PA news agency looks at his time in SW19.
Tuesday, June 28
Kyrgios did not announce himself quietly at this year’s Championships, needing five sets to beat British wild card Paul Jubb on Court Three amid temper tantrums with a line judge, the umpire and a spectator, whom he petulantly spat towards to earn himself a fine of £8,200. He munched on sushi during a fractious press conference afterwards.
Thursday, June 30By contrast, the 27-year-old was on his best behaviour on Court Two as he dispatched Filip Krajinovic, the 26th seed, in straight sets dropping only three games.
“He later told reporters: “I just feel like people don’t give me the respect sometimes because of other things that I do. There was just nothing the media possibly could tell me I did wrong today. And I love it because then you can’t write anything.”
Saturday, July 2
The fireworks returned on Court One as Kyrgios took on Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. Kyrgios demanded Tsitsipas be defaulted for hitting a ball into the crowd when he lost the second set.
Kyrgios, who was given a warning for swearing, argued furiously with the umpire and then the supervisor, but it was Tsitsipas who later received a point penalty for launching a second ball towards the wall in frustration.
Tsitsipas, beaten in four sets, branded his opponent a “bully” while Kyrgios responded by calling him “soft”. Both players were fined for their conduct.
Monday, July 4After the drama and recriminations of two days earlier, the Australian’s fourth-round match against Brandon Nakashima on Centre Court was a much less tempestuous affair.
Kyrgios struggled with a shoulder problem but recovered from a set down and then clinched the decider against 20-year-old American Nakashima.
Fuelled by his critics, Kyrgios said: “I sit here now in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon again, and I just know there’s so many people that are so upset.”
Tuesday, July 5
There was off-court turmoil for Kyrgios on his rest day as news broke that he is due to appear in court in Australia next month in relation to a charge of assaulting a former girlfriend.
Kyrgios remained tight-lipped as he was confronted by reporters after a practice session at Aorangi Park. He later said he had been advised by lawyers not to comment.
Wednesday, July 6Kyrgios put his personal issues behind him with a seasoned performance as he efficiently beat Cristian Garin of Chile in straight sets on Court One. After the match Kyrgios sat in his chair for a couple of minutes soaking in the achievement.
“What was going through my mind? Just how things can change,” he said. “There was a point where I was almost done with the sport. To be a semi-finalist at Wimbledon, it’s a special accomplishment for anyone, but I think especially for me.”
The win set up a mouth-watering last-four showdown with Rafael Nadal.
Thursday, July 7
It was 7pm when Nadal’s name appeared ominously on the media interview screen for what was an unscheduled press conference which could only mean one thing. The Spaniard withdrew from the tournament through injury, handing Kyrgios a walkover into the final.
Friday, July 8A playful Kyrgios spoke to the media about his relationship with Novak Djokovic, his opponent in the final, which has previously been frosty but was now more of a “bromance”
Kyrgios caused a stir on a podcast in 2019 when he branded Djokovic “cringeworthy” and claimed he was obsessed with wanting to be liked. Now they exchange messages on Instagram.
Sunday, July 10
It may have been a first grand slam final for Kyrgios, and he may have been facing the six-time champion, but he was not going to let the occasion limit his showboating. He threw in an underarm serve and a tweener as he took the first set with some stunning tennis.
But as Djokovic began to exert control Kyrgios’ histrionics resurfaced. He got a code violation for swearing – in front of Prince George, no less – and demanded a “drunk” female spectator be removed from the crowd. A valiant attempt to dethrone Djokovic ended in a 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (3) defeat.
