Former Australian Football League player Kane Cornes declared Nick Kyrgios "the most disappointing Australian athlete ever" and also ripped him as "a 29-year-old child," but the 2022 Wimbledon finalist had a strong response ready.
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After the Australian tennis star suffered first-round exits at the Brisbane International and the Australian Open, his critics were quick to point out how he spent months criticizing some players but then failed to make a noise on the court.
While Kyrgios is never afraid to address different topics and subjects, the majority of his criticism has been centered on calling out the Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek doping cases.
This is a guy who sits there and criticizes everyone else, Cornes said on SEN 1116 radio.
He sits on his high horse and criticizes everyone, be that ball kids, line judges, other opponents. Look at the class which Roger Federer or other players with a similar level of talent as Nick carried themselves.
Hes a child. Hes a 29-year-old child. The way that he carries himself, the ambassador that hes been, put all that in the mix, I think no one has disappointed more.
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No one has been spoken about more with less results than this guy over a long period of time."
Kyrgios responds: You never played a global sport
During his 14-year career, Cornes played in 300 games in the AFL and he was one of the better players in the league in his prime.
While the 42-year-old may be well-known within the AFL community, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist doesn't think that he should be the one making such statements.
"@kanecornes gotta love comments from a athlete who didnt play a global sport. Appreciate the kind works brother x," Kyrgios wrote on X.
Meanwhile, the former world No. 13 battled wrist and abdominal issues in Brisbane and Melbourne.
Following his straight-set loss to Jacob Fearnley, Kyrgios hinted that it was his last Australian Open.
