- Nick Kyrgios shares a provocative post on X.
- He compares a Bondi Beach massacre attacker with Novak Djokovic.
- Djokovic was expelled from Australia in 2022 for not being vaccinated.
- The post criticizes Australia’s handling of immigration and gun laws.
In recent years, Nick Kyrgios has rarely been on the tennis court. Physical problems kept thwarting his plans. Now the Australian is planning his comeback: In December he wants to compete in the “Battle of the Sexes” against Aryna Sabalenka, the current world number 1 among women.
But even before things get serious in terms of sport, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist is once again causing a stir off the court. The trigger was a controversial post by a well-known podcaster on the social media platform X, which Kyrgios spread.
“One of these two men was banned from Australia”
The focus of the post is the deadly massacre on Bondi Beach in Sydney, in which 16 people died. The perpetrators were identified as 24-year-old Naveed Akram and his 50-year-old father.
The post shows a picture of one of the perpetrators next to Novak Djokovic. The headline reads: “One of these two men has been banned from Australia.” This refers to Djokovic’s expulsion in 2022 during the corona pandemic, when he was refused entry because of his vaccination status.
Kyrgios shares an ironic comment from former professional basketball player Andrew Bogut. He writes: “The Australian government is keeping you safe.”
Big criticism
The repost met with strong criticism. On Several users also point out that the perpetrator was born in Australia.
The post makes a comparison between the comparatively relaxed gun laws and the strict Corona rules in Australia. After the Bondi Beach tragedy, a broad debate about gun rights has broken out again.
Kyrgios supported Djokovic’s back
Kyrgios does not comment further on the allegations. He does not provide his own classification and leaves it as a shared post. However, the Australian has already taken a position on the subject of Djokovic before: During the entry affair involving the Serb, Kyrgios criticized the authorities’ treatment of Djokovic at the time.
Djokovic will take part in the Australian Open again in 2026. However, it remains to be seen whether Kyrgios himself can serve at the home Grand Slam. As the current world number 673, the 2022 double champion would have to rely on a wildcard.
Terrorist attack on Bondi Beach
On December 14, two gunmen opened fire on Hanukkah attendees and other passers-by in Sydney, killing at least 12 people. Everything about it at a glance.
Florian Gnägi (flo) has been working in the sports department for 20 minutes since 2021. His greatest expertise is in the areas of football and tennis.
