Jannik Sinner (L) celebrates the 2024 US Open title with his girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya on Sept. 8, 2024. Photo by Reuters
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios made a rude comment on his ex-lover Anna Kalinskaya, who is now the girlfriend of two-time Grand Slam winner Jannik Sinner, during the U.S. Open.
Kyrgios recently responded to a photo of him and Kalinskaya going to a basketball game together, which went viral during this year’s U.S. Open. The photo was taken in 2020.
“Second serve,” Kyrgios commented.
Apparently, Kyrgios was reminding everyone that he dated Kalinskaya before Sinner. However, the Australian player was criticized for his rude behavior toward his ex-girlfriend.
“Don’t you think it’s hilarious how quickly people get triggered with a couple words, or emojis. Too much power,” he wrote on X.
“Triggered, no. Disgusted, yes,” one user responded.
Kyrgios did not compete in this year U.S. Open but worked as a commentator for ESPN.
Many experts criticized ESPN for still allowing Kyrgios to comment on the women’s singles final between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula, despite his comments about Kalinskaya.
“Honestly a bit surprised to see ESPN didn’t yank Nick Kyrgios off air mid-#USOpen final, seeing his most recent disparaging tweet about a WTA player circulating,” tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg wrote on X. “Given his history of demeaning women, women’s tennis and WTA players, it was already a dubious choice to have him.”
Sinner recently confirmed that he is dating Kalinskaya and is happy to have found true love.
Kalinskaya, also a tennis player, is three years older than Sinner, moved from Russia to the U.S. at the age of 14 and has been playing professionally since 2016. She reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open earlier this year and is currently 14th on world ranking.
Sinner, 23, is considered one of the top tennis players in the world at the moment. He’s holding the number one spot on men’s ranking.
Kalinskaya attended every match of Sinner at the 2024 U.S. Open, witnessing him lifting the title on Sept. 8.
Kyrgios on the other hand has been vocal of Sinner’s doping incident before the Grand Slam in New York began.
After an impressive comeback in 2022, reaching the Wimbledon final, Kyrgios has been plagued by injuries and dropped his form again. He has not played since the end of the 2023 season and is moving closer to retirement. In a statement earlier this year, the 29-year-old said his career was basically over and he would soon find another passion.
