Australian swimming great Dawn Fraser has launched a “racist” attack on Nick Kyrgios after he was knocked out of Wimbledon on Monday night (AEST).
The Canberra-born Kyrgios, who is of Greek and Malaysian heritage, lost a four-set fourth-round clash with 21st seed Richard Gasquet and drew further ire for ‘tanking’ at least one game in the second set.
Fraser, speaking to the Nine Network’s Today Show, said she found his behaviour “absolutely disgusting”.
“I just am so shocked to think that he went out there to play and he tanked, he did all that tanking, that’s terrible,” she said.
Fraser also appeared to take aim at German-born Bernard Tomic, who has come under fire this week after unleashing a tirade of abuse at Tennis Australia, leading to him being axed from the Davis Cup team for the upcoming quarter-final tie against Kazakhstan.
“They should be setting a better example for the younger generation of this great country of ours,” she said.
“If they don’t like it, go back to where their parents came from. We don’t need them here in this country to act like that.”
Kyrgios, who has been roundly criticised after each of his four matches at SW19 for varying degrees misbehaviour responded on Facebook, calling Fraser a “blatant racist”.
“Throwing a racket, brat. Debating the rules, disrespectful. Frustrated when competing, spoilt. Showing emotion, arrogant. Blatant racist, Australian legend,” he wrote.
Kyrgios’s mother Nill, who was born in Malaysia, took to Twitter to criticise Fraser’s comments.
“I have no comments on Dawn Frasers nasty racist attack…but she is out of line. #unaustralian behaviour,” she posted.
source:abc.net.au
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