In celebration of reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal at the U.S. Open, Karen Khachanov raised his arms and stood on the court. Nearby, Nick Kyrgios used a set of rackets to vent some of his anger over the so-close-yet-so-far outcome.
First, just after Khachanov’s final point of their match (7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4), Kyrgios banged his piece of equipment against the ground four times. Kyrgios pulled out yet another racket from his bag, threw himself back, and smacked that one to the sideline as well.
Kyrgios was eliminated in a high-caliber, chaotic quarterfinal that started on Tuesday night and ended at Arthur Ashe Stadium more than three and a half hours later at around one in the morning on Wednesday. Kyrgios had previously defeated the defending champion Daniil Medvedev at Flushing Meadows.
It is simply devastating. Like, it’s heartbreaking,” remarked Australian Kyrgios, 27, who finished second at Wimbledon in July. “Really, most tournaments throughout the year are a waste of time. Simply show up to a Grand Slam by running up. That’s how people will remember you.
Khachanov responded, “Rackets were flying,” when asked about Kyrgios’ expression of displeasure, adding, “I feel the sorrow for him.”
Two spectators were ejected from the game early on after one cut the other’s hair in the stands. By the finish, the late-arriving spectators were cheering enthusiastically for Kyrgios. “Once again, ladies and gentlemen: Respect both the players,” chair umpire James Keothavong begged during a play in the fourth set.
“I was organised. The No. 27 seed Khachanov, who lost to No. 23 Kyrgios in the quarterfinals of this major, stated, “I was expecting that the audience would be more for him, that he was the favourite in their view.