- Nick Kyrgios complained that a spectator was smoking marijuana during his second round US Open win.
- "It was fucking marijuana," the Australian star said to chair umpire Jaume Campistol.
Nick Kyrgios complained that a spectator was smoking marijuana during his second round US Open win over Benjamin Bonzi on Wednesday.
The tennis wild child made the complaint during a changeover in the second set.
"You don't want to remind anyone not to do it or anything?" Kyrgios asked chair umpire Jaume Campistol, adding that his asthma was making it difficult to breathe.
"It was fucking marijuana. Marijuana. It was smoke. Obviously I'm not going to complain about food smells, obviously not," the 27-year old Australian said.
In response, the umpire asked the crowd to "refrain from smoking."
But Kyrgios reiterated after the match that the smoke was effecting him because of his asthma.
"People don't know I'm a heavy asthmatic," he told reporters.
"When I'm running side to side, I'm struggling to breathe, it's probably not something I want to be breathing in between points."
The player, who has made a name for himself with repeated courtside outbursts, also complained about the noise inside the Louis Armstrong Stadium, saying that the US Open has a "different vibe" to Wimbledon which is "so proper."
"It's just like noisy," he said. "Point in, point out, I can't barely hear. Half the time I can't even hear my team because it's so noisy all the time."
—DannyDanko (@DannyDanko) August 31, 2022
Despite his complaints, Kyrgios managed to beat Bonzi in four sets, winning 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
The victory is the latest in a remarkable run of form that has seen the Australian surge up to 25th in the ATP rankings – over 100 places ahead of where he was ranked in March.
Kyrgios finished as the runner-up at Wimbledon in July, before last month winning the Citi Open men's singles title.
He will play the 23-year-old American world JJ Wolf in the US Open third round on Friday.
"I'm just happy to get through," Kyrgios said after beating Bonzi. "It's been a stressful time. Me and my team have big expectations. Every tournament I play I'm expected to play amazing tennis every time.
"I'd rather have that pressure and expectation to go far. I feel like I'm playing some of the best tennis of my life."