Former tennis world number one Andy Roddick criticized Nick Kyrgios for his behavior towards Cruz, the son of Jannik Sinner and Lleyton Hewitt, in a stunning salvo in which he brought up the Australian's guilty plea for assaulting his ex-girlfriend
Kyrgios, 29, has been outspoken on the issue of doping this year, particularly lashing out at Jannik Sinner, who tested positive twice for the steroid clostebol in March.
Sinner avoided a ban because the International Tennis Integrity Agency determined he was not guilty of the infraction.
That hasn't stopped Kyrgios from going after Sinner on social media at every opportunity and calling the doping scandal “disgusting.”
Last week, Kyrgios took aim at Cruz Hewitt when the 16-year-old posted a photo of him training with Sinner, posting the comments “I love you Cruz but this is wild,” “I thought we were boys” and “cooked post” with a needle emoji.
The 29-year-old later responded to criticism over his reaction, claiming he had been misinterpreted and that only an “idiot” wouldn't realize that he and Hewitt are friends and that it was just “some banter.”
Former world tennis number one Andy Roddick (pictured) has branded Nick Kyrgios a hypocrite and a bully for his treatment of Cruz, the son of Jannik Sinner and Lleyton Hewitt.
Kyrgios has repeatedly lashed out at tennis bosses for not suspending Jannik Sinner after he returned two positive doping tests.
Roddick, who has had a checkered relationship with Kyrgios over the years, became fed up with the tennis bad boy and denounced his “ridiculous” behavior.
'At this point he is a tennis influencer. “Live for the likes, live in the comments section,” Roddick said in his served podcast on Wednesday.
“What bothers me is the hypocrisy with which he chooses when to judge others and at the same time wants you to digest the context of his comments; the last one was towards Cruz Hewitt, who practiced with Jannik Sinner.
'Kyrgios has been Jannik Sinner's most outspoken critic after his failed doping test. So Cruz Hewitt is 16 years old, son of Lleyton and the toughest competitor I've ever faced, he can hit with a guy who is number one in the world at the Australian Open. That's a big problem.
'Imagine that a man of almost 30 years old enters the comments of a boy of 16 who is the best player in the world. Whether you believe he is guilty or not guilty, there is still a time when you can do so.
“That's a great moment and just posting a photo and then having this guy come in the comments and make it all about himself.” “I thought we were brothers.”
“All the defenders said it was a joke. The lack of awareness you have by including trolls and all the worst of tennis fandom in the comments of a 16-year-old is ridiculous. It's ridiculous.'
Roddick then brought up the fact that Kyrgios pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari in 2021.
Sinner's team successfully argued that the banned substance was transmitted in small doses during a massage and was not intentionally ingested.
Nick Kyrgios appears in the photo with his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari. He pleaded guilty to pushing her to the ground when he appeared in court on an assault charge in 2023.
Kyrgios said he was “not in a good place” at the time and “reacted to a difficult situation in a way that I deeply regret” when the magistrate dismissed the assault charge and did not record a conviction.
“When you have moments in your life that aren't the best,” Roddick said.
“When you plead guilty to physically assaulting your girlfriend, but you want people to understand the context…
“You wanted people to understand your moment in time and in your life that didn't make it acceptable, but at least maybe they would say 'this is not who I am, this is not what I do; “I am not an abuser despite pleading guilty to abuse.”
Roddick went on to say that Kyrgios has complained about mental health issues and online harassment that affect him, but he doesn't realize that he is engaging in similar behavior with his online behavior.
'It's just hypocritical. “It's pure hypocrisy,” he said.
Roddick has a very different view of the violations committed by Sinner and former women's world number one Iga Swiatek, stating that “they are not even doping, just contaminated substances and tests of billionths of grams.”
“Some of the players are chirping about these champions who are going to be hall of famers, when they've never worked together two good days simultaneously in their lives.”