Nick Kyrgios has ruthlessly responded to an old interview in which he called Jannik Sinner his ‘favourite player’.
Kyrgios has relentlessly laid into Sinner since the Italian tested positive for a banned substance last year. Sinner was cleared of wrongdoing by an independent panel after claiming that trace amounts of the substance entered his system via a steroid cream which was being used by a member of his entourage.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have appealed the verdict and are seeking a lengthy ban for the world No. 1. Kyrgios has been an outspoken critic of the process, which has led to a simmering tension between himself and Sinner.
“You get tested twice with a banned substance… you should be gone for two years,” Kyrgios wrote in one of his scathing social media posts last August. “Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream… Yeah, nice.”
This week, an interview re-emerged in which Kyrgios sings Sinner’s praises. The video, which has circulated widely online, features the Aussie saying: “Sinner is like my favourite player right now.”
Kyrgios’ public comments have since made it clear that his view of Sinner has changed. And he doubled down on that U-turn by personally responding to the video in which he talked up the Italian, writing: “This was before he was found with roids in his system.”
Sinner put his doping controversy to one side last month and won his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open – Kyrgios’ home turf. The 23-year-old dropped only two sets en route to victory, with wins over Holger Rune, Alex de Minaur and Alexander Zverev along the way.
Before dismantling Zverev in the final, Sinner was asked about the criticism he has received from Kyrgios. But the Italian refused to engage.
“In my mind I know exactly what happened, and that’s how I block it out,” he said. “I haven’t done anything wrong. That’s why I’m still here. That’s why I’m still playing. I don’t want to respond to what Nick said or what other players say. I think the most important part is having people around me that I can trust, people that know exactly what happened. That’s all.”
Kyrgios also competed at the Australian Open but struggled with an abdominal strain, and his tournament was cut short by Jacob Fearnley in the first round.
