World No.21 Nick Kyrgios has been slammed with a double fine following his retirement from the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday.
The Australian, who was playing Steve Johnson in the first round, retired after losing the first set tiebreaker 7-5. Earlier in the match Kyrgios received a point-penalty for an audible obscenity, and appeared visibly frustrated with the umpire. He was heard complaining to his camp during the match about the management of the crowd, who where moving during points.
Shortly after the puzzling retirement, Kyrgios uploaded a statement on his Twitter account explaining that his withdrawal was due to his physical fitness. The 22-year-old explained that he has been feeling unwell and experienced pain in his shoulder during a practice session.
“I’ve been battling a stomach bug for the past 24 hours and I tried to be ready but I was really struggling on the court today which I think was pretty evident from the first point,” he wrote.
“My shoulder started to hurt in the practice today which didn’t help either and once I lost the first set I was just not strong enough to continue because I’ve not eaten much the past 24 hours.”
Despite his explanation, he failed to escape a hefty fine imposed on him. He has lost his first round prize money of $21,085 after failing to attend a medical assessment after the match. The assessment would have proven if he was unwell or injured. Additionally, he was also slammed with a $10,000 penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
There has been no comment on the fine from Kyrgios, who has since deleted his Twitter statement detailing the reason for his withdrawal. Although, it is still displayed on his Facebook account.
It is the second consecutive year that Kyrgios has been fined at the Shanghai tournament. Last year he received a $16,500 penalty for lack of sportsmanship in his match against Mischa Zverev. He was then was briefly suspended from the sport for showing a lack of effort.
Kyrgios has also withdrawn from the doubles competition in Shanghai, where he was set to play his second round match with France’s Lucas Pouille.
