An excited Center Court attendee was the target of one of the Australian’s trademark outbursts
Nick Kyrgios remonstrated with the umpire during his defeat to Novak Djokovic. © Zac Goodwin / PA Images via Getty Images
The woman at the center of Nick Kyrgios’ latest on-court outburst has denied claims made by the Aussie ace during Sunday’s Wimbledon final that she was ‘drunk’.
Ania Palus, 32, was cited to the umpire by Kyrgios as having disturbed him during the match, telling the official that she looked to have had “700 drinks.”
But speaking to The Sun, the Polish lawyer said that she had consumed just two alcoholic drinks, although she conceded that the London sunshine may have made her feel the effects of the beverages a little more than usual.
Palus also said that she was only trying to support Kyrgios in his bid to win his first Grand Slam; a player who she says “always says the crowd is against him.”
Nick Kyrgios is back ripping a “drunk out of her mind” spectator 😂 #Wimbledonpic.twitter.com/pVFhgmV7RQ
— Joshua Sánchez (@joshnsanchez) July 10, 2022
“She’s distracting me when I’m serving in a Wimbledon final,” a furious Kyrgios could be heard saying to the official after a service game which he won in his four set battle with Novak Djokovic.
“There’s no other bigger occasion, you didn’t believe me and then she did it again. It nearly cost me the game.
“Why is she still here? She’s drunk out of her mind and speaking to me in the middle of a game. What’s acceptable?
“OK kick her out,” he added. “I know exactly which one it is. The one in the dress, who looks like she’s had about 700 drinks, bro.”
The offending fan was temporarily removed from Center Court following Kyrgios’ objections but was allowed to retake her seat around 15 minutes later, and after Wimbledon officials had supplied her with water.
“I wanted to give him support. Maybe I took it too far… but I only had good intentions,” she said of the incident.
“It’s the temperature for me, I had no hat,” she said, also adding that she had a Pimms and a glass of Rose wine during the match. “I’m really sorry.”
The infamously short-tempered Kyrgios was true to form throughout his journey to the Wimbledon final.
His third-round match with Stefanos Tsitsipas was notable for various spats between the two players during (and after) their clash – and Sunday’s final was never going to reach its conclusion without one of his trademark outbursts.
But the ice-cool Djokovic refused to take the bait, with Kyrgios instead directing his ire at various towards towards the crowd, the umpire and even his own coaching team.
In the end, it was the calmer head which prevailed as Djokovic recovered from losing the first set to win the match – and his seventh Wimbledon title – in four sets.
