Nick Kyrgios has reignited a war of words with a bitter arch-rival who labelled him as an ‘absolute knob’ with the maturity of a 10-year-old.
The Aussie tennis star and good mate Thanasi Kokkinakis are still on a high after winning the men’s doubles title at the Australian Open on Saturday night.
Kyrgios came under fire from a number of their opponents during the grand slam over his on-court antics.
New Zealand star Michael Venus labelled him as immature and that Kyrgios would never reach his full potential after he and doubles partner Tim Puetz were beaten by the Aussie duo in an epic quarter-final.
Kyrgios returned serve with a brutal shot at Venus on the Today show.
He also made fun of Venus’ tennis outfit, leaving co-hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon in hysterics.
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios teamed up to win the Australian Open men’s doubles title, causing a few upsets against top seeds along the away
‘I don’t even think any sort of comment that came out of Venus’s mouth is relevant,’ Kyrgios told the program on Tuesday.
‘He was firstly dressed in something that I would wear to a Halloween party.’
‘I feel like that is the energy we wanted. The fact that me and Thanasi have now made Michael Venus’s comments irrelevant, I think that’s great.’
He then dragged Kokkinakis into the controversy, who laughed off Kyrgios’ comments.
‘I’m p******* myself over here,’ Kokkinakis said.
‘I felt we had a target on our back from the start, given that we beat the number one seeds.
‘Then Venus after that. I think that it was blown out of proportion and we were trying to hype up the crowd and have fun. Anyone who comments now just looks bitter.’
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis had Today show co-hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon (pictured left) in stitches
Kyrgios couldn’t explain why Venus was so bitter.
‘What I don’t understand is that was the best atmosphere, Michael Venus will ever play in,’ he said.
‘He’ll tell his kids about it, do you know what I mean?’ I don’t know why he’s being so salty.’
Stefanovic egged the pair on to elaborate further and say what they really thought of Venus.
‘I can’t Karl, stop,’ Kyrgios replied
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis celebrated after their straight-sets win against Australian rivals Max Purcell and Matt Ebden in the wake of Ash Barty winning the women’s title earlier.
‘I couldn’t have asked for anything more,’ Kokkinakis said.
‘I am not going to lie. It was a pretty fun two weeks. Sweet month for me to do it with Nick I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
‘Pretty loose night on Saturday. Yeah, still feeling it.’
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, best mates who grew up through Australia’s youth setup together, experienced two very different evenings as Thanasi’s coach joked the 25-year-old Adelaidian ‘went pretty hard’ while Kyrgios sipped on wine.
Kyrgios celebrated by treating his new girlfriend Costeen Hatzi to a lavish dinner at an exclusive Sydney restaurant on Sunday night.
‘Thanasi headed straight to Chapel Street, went to his favourite place Electric. He didn’t get there till about 2am,’ Todd Langman told Triple M on Monday morning.
Nick Kyrgios slammed the match outfit of bitter Kiwi rival Michael Venus (right) as something he’d wear to a Halloween party
He turned up in his pretty sick car… a V8 turbo Mercedes, he said ‘you take that I’m going to take off’, so me and his trainer did laps around Chapel Street until he came out.’
The pair, who have been dating for a few months, headed straight back to the 21-year-old blogger’s hometown of Sydney less than 24 hours after Kyrgios claimed his maiden grand slam title.
They regularly post loved-up pictures and even escaped to a winery via helicopter last week in the middle of the 26-year-old’s doubles run.
Kokkinakis meanwhile was tearing up Chapel Street in Melbourne after promising on Twitter to go on a three-day bender.
‘I’m not sleeping for three days…. are you f**king kidding me,’ he posted on social media following their straight sets win on Saturday night.
‘I’ll be having beautiful dinners with my beautiful girlfriend. Party up my brother,’ Kyrgios responded.
Stefanovic and Langdon grilled Kokkinakis about his partying since Saturday night.
‘If there was ever a time to do so, it was the right time,’ he replied.
‘Nick did surprise me. He’s come of age, his maturity is through the roof now.’
‘I was hoping he would partake but he’s disciplined and all grown up. I look forward to celebrating with him when I get to Sydney.’
After Saturday night’s doubles title, Nick Kyrgios returned to Sydney to celebrate with new girlfriend Costeen Hatzi (pictured together)
Kyrgios makes no apologies for his on-field antics or for the raucous fans who also came under fire from his opponents.
‘I knew the crowd with everything Australians have gone though in the last two years, I could definitely feel they wanted a bit more this year, they wanted a show and get behind it’ Kyrgios told the program.
‘I felt the crowd was looser this year. But when they were yelling out for poor serves and that type of stuff, I don’t think that’s something we created.’
‘I think we created atmosphere where we had so many Australian players doing their own thing and going about it different ways.
‘It was exciting for Australian tennis and for people watching.’
It comes after Kyrgios divided fans with a controversial quip at a post match press conference after winning the Australian Open doubles title, boasting that his ‘ratings’ are higher than any other player.
But Kyrgios’ blunt answer to a reporter’s question about how the enthusiastic atmosphere at his matches caused a wave of backlash when he appeared to suggest he is a bigger drawcard than women’s singles winner Ash Barty.
Barty, the current world No.1, broke the 44-year drought for an Aussie woman to claim the Australian Open championship earlier on Saturday night when she beat American newcomer Danielle Collins.
‘I would say that we’ve created probably the best atmosphere this tournament has ever seen,’ Kyrgios told the press gallery.
Kokkinakis – next to him at the conference – smiled as he let his outspoken teammate and childhood friend volley back the question – but even his grin dropped as Kyrgios continued.
‘Ash (Barty’s) father came to us and said the crowd was the best he’s ever seen. Obviously Ash is a hell of a player, but I think the ratings speak for themselves.
‘People watch my matches, everywhere I play around the world the stadiums are full for that reason.
Nick Kyrgios celebrates with girlfriend Costeen Hatzi after winning the men’s doubles title at the Australian Open
Kyrgios later defended his comments as he labelled called compatriot and doubles final opponent Max Purcell a ‘donut’.
Purcell admitted in Saturday night’s post-match press conference that Kyrgios’s antics would be a massive drawcard for spectators to come and see his matches, but also a turn-off for tennis fans around the world watching from their homes.
Kyrgios returned serve the following night by calling out Purcell on Instagram.
‘As for Max Purcell you donut, regarding your comments after the match, you clearly have no idea about entertainment and sport,’ he wrote.
‘If you haven’t noticed there is a reason why people actually come to my matches. It’s because the level & my game are actually worth watching.
‘Next time you lose another slam final, you should just put your head down and try to figure out how to play the big points better. No need to slate other Aussies in the media cuz people would rather watch paint dry than your S&V game style.’
As Kyrgios returned to Sydney, doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis (pictured) stayed in Melbourne to party