Nick Kyrgios re-ignites feud with Stan Wawrinka after clash with Holger Rune

Nick Kyrgios has sided with Holger Rune after the latest fiery episode in his feud with Stan Wawrinka. Rune went down to Wawrinka at Indian Wells on Monday before taking a swipe at the Swiss veteran at the net.

As the players shook hands, Rune said to Wawrinka: "Got nothing to say now?" After Rune repeated the question, Wawrinka shot back: "What you want me to say?"

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The 19-year-old Rune was referencing an ugly run-in he had with Wawrinka at the Paris Masters last year in which Wawrinka told him to "stop acting like a baby". That episode also occurred while the players were shaking hands at the net and followed Rune's three-set win over the three-time grand slam champion.

On that occasion an angry Wawrinka shot at Rune: “My advice to you is that you stop acting like a baby on the court, OK?” The 37-year-old veteran was slammed as a 'bad loser' at the time after blowing three match points in a brutal loss to his teenage opponent.

The saga took another twist on Monday at Indian Wells, with Rune apparently wondering why Wawrinka didn't have anything to say this time around considering he'd won 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 to reach the fourth round. And Kyrgios, who has his own infamous history with Wawrinka, was left asking the same question.

Taking to social media later on Monday, the Aussie player wrote: “Hahahaha yeah all good when you win… typical. Holger Rune with you my brother.”

Nick Kyrgios' infamous history with Stan Wawrinka

Kyrgios' comments lit up social media, with many pointing out the Aussie star's ugly past with Wawrinka. Kyrgios infamously sledged Wawrinka during a match at the Canadian Open in 2015 by saying: "Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend."

Wawrinka was dating fellow tennis player Donna Vekic at the time, and Kyrgios appeared to be suggesting there was some history between her and compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis. Kyrgios was widely condemned for his actions and was later hit with a $35,000 fine.

Wawrinka reportedly didn't hear the sledge at the time, but was left incensed when told about it during a post-match press conference. The Swiss star later lashed out on social media, saying Kyrgios' comments were something he “would not say to my worst enemy”.

“To stoop so low is not only unacceptable but also beyond belief,” he wrote. “So disappointing to see a fellow athlete and colleague be so disrespectful in a way I could never even imagine.”

When later asked why he made the comment, Kyrgios replied: "He was getting a bit lippy with me. Kind of in the heat of the moment. I don't know. I just said it." The Aussie later issued a public apology and was booed by fans the next time he played in Montreal.

As for Vekic, she has managed to overcome the scandal and a public break-up with Wawrinka in 2019 to recapture her best form on the court. She made it to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January before falling to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Aussie great Casey Dellacqua said in January: "She's had some tough years, we know that she was obviously with Stan and that didn't work out. But she's just always had great family, she's got great parents around her, they have supported her unconditionally, and you can tell that when you speak to her.

"She's got a lot of life about her, Donna, in terms of her maturity and where she comes from and where she's at now, so I do think the best is yet to come for a player like Donna Vekic. I hope it is anyway, because she's a bit of a 'fave' of mine."

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