Nick Kyrgios can avoid $25K fine, 28-day suspension with good behavior
Nick Kyrgios was conditionally suspended for 28 days from any ATP-sanctioned event and fined an additional $25,000 on Monday for hiscommentsearlierthis month about Stan Wawrinka at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.
The penalties, however, will be dropped provided that Kyrgios, over the next six months, does not draw any fines for verbal or physical abuse at any ATP tournament, and does not accumulate fines totaling more than $5,000 for any other offenses at ATP sanctioned tournaments.
Kyrgios remains eligible for the US Open, which starts next week and is not an ATP tournament.
The governing body of men's tennis completed its review of Kyrgios' conduct and cited him for "aggravated behavior." On Aug. 12, an ESPN courtside microphone picked up Kyrgios saying that fellow Australian player Thanasi Kokkinakis had slept withDonna Vekic,who reportedly is now Wawrinka's girlfriend.
"This incident was egregious and reflected poorly on our sport," said Gayle David Bradshaw, executive vice president of rules and competition. "Nick has expressed regret, and the best result would be that he learns a lesson from this incident and that he understands he is responsible to the tour and to fellow players for both his actions and his words."
The ATP already fined Kyrgios $10,000 -- the maximum allowed by the ATP rulebook for incidents of verbal abuse or unsportsmanlike conduct. In addition, he was fined $2,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct regarding a comment to a ball person during the match.
Kyrgios, who is No. 37 in the ATP rankings, had already issued apologies to Wawrinka, as well as Vekic and Kokkinakis and their families for "dragging them into something that wasn't deserved for them."
The fifth-ranked Wawrinka announced in April that he had separated from his wife, with whom he has a daughter. The 30-year-old Swiss player has since been linked to the 19-year-old Vekic.
Vekic played mixed doubles with Kokkinakis, also 19 and ranked No. 76, at the 2014 Australian Open as a wild-card entry.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
