Deserved ban, but not embarrassed: Kyrgios

I apologised to (Stan Wawrinka) privately and publicly. Whether he accepted it or not, it’s not my problem

NICK KYRGIOS, on his on-court outburst

NEW YORK: Australia’s Nick Kyrgios says he deserved the suspended ban from the ATP Tour after the unsavoury oncourt incident, but he was “not embarrassed at all”.

“I guess I’ll just learn from it. I mean, obviously I wouldn’t do it again but I wouldn’t say I was embarrassed by it at all. I’m not embarrassed by it,” Kyrgios said, adding that he had not expected the furore when he opened his mouth on court.

Kyrgios fell foul of ATP rules when he told Stan Wawrinka during their match in the Rogers Cup this month: “( Thanasi) Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that mate.”

Last week in Cincinnati, Wawrinka said Kyrgios had not apologised, at least not to the extent he expected. Kyrgios, however, said, “I apologised to Stan privately and publicly. I apologised to (WTA player Donna Vekic — the girl- friend referred to) not in person, but obviously through contacts.”

When asked if he thought he should apologise to Vekic in person, Kyrgios simply said, “No.”

Asked if Wawrinka had accepted his apology, he said: “Whether he accepted it or not, it’s not my problem.”

In addition to the total of $35,000 in fines he received, Kyrgios said he had no issue with the onemonth ban, which will come into force if he accumulates another $5,000 or more in fines at ATP events (not grand slams or the Davis Cup) in the next six months.

“I think it is fair,” he said. “I deserved to be punished, to some extent.”