Nick Kyrgios is reportedly facing a fine of up to $50,000 (£37,000) after a verbal altercation with an umpire during his return to Wimbledon. The incident occurred during his first-round men's doubles match alongside Alexander Bublik on Court 17.
During a changeover in the second set, after his serve was broken, Kyrgios was heard by French umpire Manuel Absolu making profane remarks. According to reports, Kyrgios stated, "Honestly, at this point you can fine me. I honestly don’t even care. Honestly, you can fine me, I don’t give a s***. All these rules are so dumb anyway." Wimbledon's rules prohibit audible obscenities, with violations potentially leading to fines of up to $50,000 per offense. Kyrgios, currently ranked world number 899, was not granted a wildcard for the singles tournament but competed in the doubles.
Kyrgios and his partner Bublik ultimately lost the match to the sixth seeds, Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic, with a score of 6-3, 6-4. This is not the first time Kyrgios has faced disciplinary action at Wimbledon; he incurred nearly £15,000 in fines during his 2022 run to the final. Those penalties included fines for spitting at a fan and for using expletives during the final match, which was attended by Prince George.
The Australian player has a history of on-court misconduct. He was fined for racket abuse at the 2015 Australian Open and once received a $113,000 (£85,000) fine for claiming the ATP tour was "corrupt." He also received a $3,000 fine at the 2019 Wimbledon tournament for a similar outburst directed at an umpire.