[SPORTS ★]
TENNIS PLAYER NICK KYRGIOS FINED FOR TRASH TALK
(P1) The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) fined Nick Kyrgios on Thursday for his “INSULTING remark” toward French Open champion Stan Wawrinka during a match at the Rogers Cup.
(P2) A courtside microphone during ESPN’s telecast on Wednesday night picked up Kyrgios saying that Australian player Thanasi Kokkinakis had slept with a player who is reportedly Wawrinka’s girlfriend.
(P3) The ATP said it would not reveal details of the fine until Kyrgios was notified. The ENTITY’S rulebook allows a fine of up to $10,000 for incidents of verbal abuse or UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT, noting that a “singularly EGREGIOUS…single violation of this section shall also CONSTITUTE the player Major Offense of AGGRAVATED Behavior.”
(P4) Wawrinka tweeted Thursday morning that the Australian’s words were “BEYOND BELIEF” and urged tennis’s GOVERNING BODY to take action.
(P5) “So disappointing to see a fellow athlete and colleague be so disrespectful in a way I could never even imagine,” Wawrinka tweeted.
(P6) “There is no need for this kind of behaviour on or off the court and I hope the governing body of this sport does not STAND FOR this and stands up for the INTEGRITY of the sport that we have worked so hard to build.”
(P7) Kyrgios issued an apology Thursday on his Facebook page.
(P8) “My comments were made IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT and were unacceptable on many levels,” Kyrgios wrote. “I take full responsibility for my actions and regret what happened.”
(P9) The fifth-ranked Wawrinka announced in April that he had separated from his wife, with whom he has a daughter. The 30-year-old Swiss player has since been linked with 19-year-old Donna Vekic of Croatia, who is ranked 127th among female players.
(P10) Vekic played MIXED DOUBLES with Kokkinakis, also 19 and ranked No. 76, at the 2014 Australian Open.
(P11) Kyrgios, 20, beat Wawrinka on Wednesday when the Swiss retired with a lower-back injury while trailing 4-0 in the third set.
(P12) In a postmatch interview on court, Kyrgios said Wawrinka had PROVOKED him.
(P13) “He was getting a bit LIPPY at me so, I don’t know, it’s just in-the-moment sort of stuff,” Kyrgios said. “I don’t really know, I just said it.”
(P14) Wawrinka’s coach, Magnus Norman, also tweeted criticism about Kyrgios, who has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks.
(P15) At Wimbledon, Kyrgios battled with umpires time and again, was accused of TANKING — he appeared to make little attempt to return a serve during a fourth-round loss to Richard Gasquet — and swore so loudly and abused his rackets so violently that he was fined nearly $10,000.
(P16) Australian swimming great Dawn Fraser said she was disgusted with Kyrgios’ behavior at Wimbledon, telling a breakfast television show that he “should be setting a better example for the younger generation of this great country of ours” and that he should go back to where his parents came from.
(P17) Kyrgios, who was born in Australia to a father born in Greece and mother born in Malaysia, replied on Twitter that Fraser was a “BLATANT racist.” She later apologized.
WORDS: 504
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Professional tennis has a long tradition of “BAD BOYS” such as John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. Do you think this adds to the entertainment of the game, or should their behavior not be tolerated?
- TRASH TALK has become common in certain sports (such as American football), and even sometimes in politics. Is this kind of talk acceptable in your country, or is it considered BAD FORM?
- Modern athletes are frequently fined by leagues or governing bodies. Do you think this has any real influence on their conduct?
- Athletes used to be considered as ROLE MODELS for young people. Are they still considered that way, and should they be?
EXPRESSIONS TO PRACTICE:
What do the following expressions mean? Practice using each expression in a sentence; extra points if you can use it in conversation.
- Unsportsmanlike conduct
- Beyond belief
- Governing body
- Stand for
- In the heat of the moment
- Bad boy
- Trash talk
- Bad form
- Role model
