By Alberto Amalfi | Friday, May 27, 2022
Feuding Aussies Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios are trading shots again.
Tomic mocked Kyrgios in an Instagram story video claiming Kyrgios idolizes him.
Rublev: ATP Has Toxic Relationship with Wimbledon
“The only logical explanation is that I’m his idol,” Tomic said. “He’s always been in my shadow growing up. “That’s why anytime someone mentions my name to him, it gets under his skin. He knows he can’t re-write history.
"The records that I set when I was 16, 17, 18, and 19 — youngest slam quarter-finalist at Wimbledon (since Boris Becker), the biggest tournament in the world. He knows he can’t change that, he can’t re-write that and he would love to shut me up if he could, he knows he can’t."
In response, Kyrgios ripped ex Davis Cup teammate Tomic as "the most hated athlete in Australia."
“HAHA TOMIC let’s not forget the time I paid for your flight home from Shanghai because you had no money,” Kyrgios wrote on Instagram. “Hahahaha re-write history, you are the most HATED athlete in Australia.
"You are right, no one can take over that.”
Though the pair have not met on the ATP Tour, Tomic defeated Kyrgios 6-3, 6-4 at a 2019 Kooyong Clasic exhibition.
Recalling that sole encounter, Tomic called out Kyrgios for a rematch—either in a boxing ring or on court with both putting up $1 million in a winner-take-all match.
“First thing’s first, let’s set the record straight here,” Tomic said in a video. “Our current score is 1-0, I beat you once before, I’ll beat you again whenever you want. I dominate you every time we play, we train, and you know that.
“You say you’re good at basketball, I’ll beat you at that too. Tennis? I’ll dominate you one-on-one. To not make excuses, I’ll even play you on grass, whenever you want. You know what? Let’s sort this out in the boxing ring. Put your gloves on, I’ll dominate you there also. Let’s see who’s better once and for all.”
The 29-year-old Tomic's ranking has plummeted to No. 418. Kyrgios, who partnered Thanasi Kokkinakis to the Australian Open doubles crown in January, is currently ranked No. 78.
Kyrgios declined Tomic's offer suggesting it's a plea for relevancy from a player who doesn't even consistently play on the ATP Tour anymore.
“BT, I’m still playing on the tour, my brother. I’ve got bigger fish to fry,” Kyrgios said. “I’m actually in a grass court training block right now preparing for tournaments. Wimbledon and then US Open swing.
“I understand you’re at that Future and Challenger level right now but if you want to play me and you want to set this straight, just get back to the top of the sport. I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere. I still feel that I’m elite. I’m still beating some of the best in the world quite easily.
“So I’ll be waiting for you and if you’re capable of playing a decent level of tennis, you’ll show that. There’s no need to go through the media (and) use my name to get relevant again. Let’s just see your results, stop living in the past and let’s play each other on the main tour.”
The feud between the former Davis Cup teammates dates back to March of 2016 when Tomic accused Kyrgios of "faking" illness to avoid playing in Australia's Davis Cup defeat to the United States.
That exchange was broadcast on television and posted online later by The Age.
After Tomic’s loss. Kyrgios himself took to Twitter to lash back at Tomic’s claims.
In their post-match press conference, Tomic revealed that he spoke with Kyrgios on the phone to air his views.
"It was just in the heat of the moment I said it," Tomic said. "Obviously I would have loved him to be here, but he is obviously sick like he says he is, and for me I think just now it will be seeing if he actually plays Indian Wells because a similar situation happened last year where he didn't come to Czech and he had stress fractures and somehow played Indian Wells and felt good.
"So now it's going to be really funny for me to see the next two days whether he plays or not, which I think he will."
Photo credit: Tennis Australia Facebook