TENNIS | ATP announces suspension, fine for Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios will miss the rest of the season after being suspended by the men’s tour and fined an additional USD25,000 yesterday for “tanking” a match and insulting fans in the mercurial Australian’s latest run-in with tennis authorities.
The ATP said Kyrgios was sanctioned for “conduct contrary to the integrity of the game” following an investigation into his behavior during a second-round loss to German qualifier Mischa Zverev last week at the Shanghai Masters.
Kyrgios gave little effort during the 6-3, 6-1 defeat, even patting easy serves over the net and turning away before his opponent’s serve had crossed the net.
The 21-year-old Australian had already been fined a total of $16,500 for failing to give a full effort, unsportsmanlike conduct and verbal abuse of a spectator.
The ATP said yesterday that, in addition to the extra $25,000 fine, Kyrgios was handed an eight-week suspension lasting through Jan. 15 — a day before the start of the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.
However, the tour said the suspension will be reduced to three weeks if Kyrgios agrees to enter “a plan of care under the direction of a sports psychologist or an equivalent plan approved by the ATP.” That means he would eligible to return on Nov. 7.
There are no regular tournaments on the schedule after Nov. 7. The only event in November is the ATP finals in London from Nov. 13-20. The 12th-ranked Kyrgios has not qualified for the eight-player finals, so he will have to wait until next year in any case to return to the tour.
Kyrgios issued a statement yesterday offering another apology for his conduct in Shanghai and saying he will be back in 2017. He did not say whether he would enter the treatment program mandated by the ATP. AP