Bernard Tomic has had enough of the trash talk and wants to settle his bitter rivalry with Nick Kyrgios in the boxing ring, after the outspoken Aussie star snubbed a $2million battle on the tennis court.
The Australian tennis duo have been embroiled in a war of words for years and their feud escalated even further this week after Kyrgios labelled Tomic ‚the most hated athlete in Australia‘.
Tomic, 29, responded by challenging Kyrgios, 27, to a one-off battle on the grass court, with each player stumping up $1million in a winner-takes-all clash.
Kyrgios opted not to accept Tomic’s proposal, but was spotted limbering up on the grass on Friday, hinting that he may possibly change his mind and take on his bitter rival further down the line.
However, Tomic has now upped the ante and demanded a boxing match with Kyrgios, so they can end their rivalry ‚once and for all‘.
‚I am so sick of all this trash talk,‘ Tomic said via Saturday Confidential.
Bernard Tomic has challenged Nick Kyrgios to a boxing match to settle their bitter rivalry
‚I literally chopped this clown last time we played, and I think it is time for me to chop him again.
‚He needs to wake up. The only thing he is number one for is having the biggest mouth.
‚I know he won’t walk onto the tennis court with me because he is a bit too scared. Put your boxing gloves on, let’s get inside the ring and let’s sort this out as men. Let’s stop the trash talk.‘
Bernard Tomic (left) and Nick Kyrgios have previously been good friends, but have fallen out spectacularly over the last five years
Neither Tomic nor Kyrgios boast any experience in the boxing ring, although the latter has expressed an interest in the sport in the past and there has certainly been a surge in ‚celebrity boxing matches‘ in recent years.
Former rugby stars Sonny Bill Williams and Paul Gallen have carved out careers in the ring, while ex-AFL bad boy Barry Hall has enjoyed a two-fight career.
Kyrgios (76) is currently far ahead of Tomic (418) in the tennis rankings, but Tomic beat Kyrgios in the only professional match they played against one another, at the Kooyong Classic in 2019.
‚Let the public see who is better for once and for all,‘ Tomic recently said.
‚I’ve beaten you easy before and I’ll do it again.
‚Plus we’ll play on grass so you don’t make any excuses.‘
Kyrgios (with girlfriend Costeen) has snubbed a $2m tennis match but now Tomic wants to box
However, Kyrgios has dashed hopes of a mega-clash, insisting he has ‚bigger fish to fry‘.
‚BT, I’m still playing on the tour, my brother. I’ve got bigger fish to fry,‘ Kyrgios said. ‚I’m actually in a grass court training block right now preparing for tournaments. Wimbleton and then US Open swing.
‚I understand you’re at that Future and Challenger level right now but if you want to play me and you want to set this straight, just get back to the top of the sport. I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere. I still feel that I’m elite. I’m still beating some of the best in the world quite easily.
‚So I’ll be waiting for you and if you’re capable of playing a decent level of tennis, you’ll show that. There’s no need to go through the media (and) use my name to get relevant again. Let’s just see your results, stop living in the past and let’s play each other on the main tour.‘