Outspoken Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has opted for an unusual reply to the revised ATP Tour calendar amid the COVID-19 pandemic by labelling ATP chief Andrea Gaudenzi as a “potato”.
“Cheers mate, you’ve really looked after the players during this time. Seriously, how about you have a collaborative effort with us, potato,” tweeted Kyrgios.
On Wednesday, the ATP announced that the season will resume on August 14 with the Washington Open. The US Open will also be held according to its original schedule from August 31 with the Cincinnati Open being held at the Flushing Meadows before that from August 22.
“It has been a truly collaborative effort and we hope to add more events to the calendar as the situation evolves,” said Gaudenzi in a statement.
“I would like to recognise our tournaments’ efforts to operate during these challenging times, as well as our players who will be competing under different conditions. At every turn, ensuring that the resumption of the Tour takes place in a safe environment will be paramount,” he added.
Kyrgios had earlier slammed the ATP for pushing on with the 2020 US Open despite the coronavirus situation in the country and the social unrest that has followed the death of George Floyd.
“People that live in the US of course are pushing the Open to go ahead ‘Selfish’ I’ll get my hazmat suit ready for when I travel from Australia and then have to quarantine for 2 weeks on my return,” Kyrgios has tweeted.
