Nick Kyrgios has reacted to his US Open quarter-final defeat by smashing two rackets in front of a packed crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 27-year-old Australian athlete's violent outburst was sparked by his five-set defeat at the hands of his opponent Karen Khachanov on September 4.
Initially, Kyrgios was troubled by a knee issue and had to take a medical timeout after losing the opening set and complaining to his box that he could not walk on his left knee.
After losing, the world No. 25 hurled and smashed two rackets on the court - breaking both - before leaving the stadium. He also smashed and broke a racket during the match.
Watch the moment below:Kyrgios cooled down after his tantrum and praised his opponent in his post-match press conference, saying: "I’m obviously devastated. But all credit to Karen. He’s a fighter. He’s a warrior."
"I thought he served really good today. Honestly probably the best server I played this tournament, to be honest, the way he was hitting his spots under pressure," he added.
However, the tennis player explained that he was "devastated" because it was "either winning it all or nothing at all" and that he feels like he "failed at this event right now".
"Honestly, I don't even really care about any other tournament. Like, I feel like at the Grand Slams, now having success at a Grand Slam, it's just like no other tournament really matters," he said.
"I think pretty much every other tournament during the year is a waste of time really. You should just run up and show up at a Grand Slam, that's what you're remembered by," he added.
Meanwhile, the Russian opponent will now be participating in his first major semi-final against Casper Ruud on Friday, September 9.
The loss was obviously a hugely disappointing loss for Kyrgios, who was among the favorites to win at this year's tournament as both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal - who just lost to Frances Tiafoe earlier this week - are absent.
Kyrgios was previously caught in controversy during the tournament and has already been fined a total of $18,500 for four separate offenses, including spitting, swearing, and smashing his racket.
In addition to this, Australian media reported that he is also scheduled to appear in court in October after an ex-girlfriend accused him of assault and he was charged in July.
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