• Aussie maverick Kyrgios was fined $60,000 for a series of angry outbursts at the Indian Wells

Tennis officials will dish out stricter punishments for on-court misconduct, the ATP warned players in an internal note yesterday as the men’s governing body also simultaneously reviews its guidelines to clamp down on repeat offenders.
Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios was fined $60,000 for a series of angry outbursts at the Indian Wells and Miami Open events, with many observers saying he should have been disqualified.
German Alexander Zverev was thrown out of a tournament in Acapulco in February after smashing his racket repeatedly against the umpire’s chair following a doubles defeat.
“Effective immediately and as we head into the clay court swing, the ATP officiating team has been directed to take a stricter stance in judging violations of the Code of Conduct,” ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said in the note, seen by Reuters.
“Additionally, we are also undertaking a review of the Code, as well as the disciplinary processes, to ensure that it provides appropriate and up-to-date penalties for serious violations and repeat offenders.”
Kyrgios was fined $35,000 after his fourth-round loss to Jannik Sinner at the Miami Open during which he criticised the umpire and smashed his racket.
The incident followed an outburst at Indian Wells where Kyrgios lost his temper after losing to Rafa Nadal, smashing his racket to the ground, which then bounced up and almost hit a ball boy. He was fined $25,000 for it. The Australian earned over $350,000 in prize-money from the two tournaments after competing in both singles and doubles.
Olympic singles champion Zverev was handed a suspended eight-week ban for his expletive-filled Acapulco tantrum.
The ATP came under fire for what many pundits and fans perceived to be soft punishments from the governing body and in the note Gaudenzi told players “we all have a role to play to uphold the reputation and integrity of our sport”.
“The first three months of the season have seen an unusual frequency of high-profile incidents involving unsportsmanlike conduct,” Gaudenzi, a former Italian professional player, added.
“These incidents shine a bad light on our sport. This conduct affects everyone, and sends the wrong message to our fans, especially young fans.”
Meanwhile Carlos Alcaraz was a picture of calm as he sealed the biggest win of his career at the Miami Open on Sunday but the teenager said his nerves were jangled by a congratulatory phone call from Spain’s King Felipe.
Alcaraz defeated Norwegian world number eight Casper Ruud 7-5 6-4 to earn his first ATP Masters 1000 crown and become the first Spanish man to triumph in Miami after eight previous final appearances by his compatriots.
“It’s pretty amazing to get the call from the Spanish king,” the 18-year-old told reporters. “I was more nervous (for) that call than the match.
“It’s pretty amazing that the Spanish king congratulates you on the hard work that you put in every day and your win. It’s something that you never thought you were going to receive.”
Victory in Miami marked Alcaraz’s third ATP Tour title following triumphs at the Rio Open in February and his win at Umag last July. It also earned him a career-high ATP ranking of 11.