Wimbledon officials are deliberating over whether to penalise Nick Kyrgios after he admitted to spitting at an onlooker and calling the linesman a bitch during his tumultuous first-round win against Briton Paul Jubb.
The Australian said he had mitigating circumstances behind his behaviour, blaming an umpire who ignored his request for an abusive spectator to be removed. But, at the same time, he also blamed social media for creating a new breed of fans who like to videotape themselves abusing sports stars.
Kyrgios faced accusations of hypocrisy after appearing to assault multiple officials throughout his three-hour game verbally. These included loudly calling a lines judge “snitch” as she went at an umpire for the ball in a 3-2 set early on and repeatedly telling another off the court when he made an error.