Nick Kyrgios has taken aim at Pat Cash over the former Wimbledon champion’s recent comments about Australian crowds being “a little out of control”.
In an ABC TV documentary titled Australia’s Open, Cash lashed out at spectators as he believes they often overstep the mark when it comes to their behaviour.
“I think the Australian crowds in the last 10 years have got a little out of control,” the 1987 Wimbledon winner said.
“Cheer on your countrymen, no problems, but they’re not representing your country, they’re individual and I think we need to understand that.”
Tennis commentator Cash added: “We should have more respect for the international players that come over here.
“We’ve got to also accept that if it goes too far, there’s a chance that these players will say, ‘I’m not going to come to Australia anymore. I go there and I get abused, what’s the point of that?’”
But Kyrgios believes two-time Australian Open runner-up Cash’s views are outdated as he is not keeping up with the times.
The former Wimbledon finalist, who will miss this year’s season-opening Grand Slam at Melbourne Park and will instead find himself in the commentary booth, says it is all about entertainment for fans and tennis often lagging behind compared to other major sports.
“[It was an] Absolutely stupid comment by another old head that has no idea how marketing or how things work in today’s day and age,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
“You need entertainment. This generation doesn’t have a long attention span. That’s why you see clips on Instagram rolling. They’re 15-20 seconds long.
“Someone like Pat Cash wouldn’t be able to grasp that concept. And I’m not taking anything away from Pat Cash. Incredible player of his generation, but we need to continue to make the sport grow for fans everywhere.”
Kyrgios won the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles title alongside his good friend Thanasi Kokkinakis and the spectators at Melbourne Park were accused of going too far in their support.
Former world No 13 Kyrgios, though, says fans need to be involved.
“We need the crowds to feel part of the sport. We need entertainment. We need people having beers and the players loving it. We need human interaction. We’re human, not robots. We need it to be like that,” he said.
“That year [2022] was incredible. Ash Barty was playing some of the best tennis in her career. She won the Grand Slam. Me and Thanasi won the Grand Slam. And it was the highest viewership.
“That’s not by coincidence. It was Ash putting on a hell of a show with her quality of tennis, and Thanasi and I were doing it a different way.
“With everything I do on and off the court, entertainment value, putting eyes on this. It just makes everyone else more money in the sport. That’s all it does. And if Pat Cash can’t see that – stubborn, old, stuck in his ways.”