Nick Kyrgios has taken to social media to call out the media and fellow Aussie Max Purcell following his Australian Open men's doubles win.
Alongside good friend Thanasi Kokkinakis, Kyrgios produced a fairytale run to the final where the duo beat Purcell and Matthew Ebden for a shock title.
Speaking after the win, the 26-year-old was quick to praise the crowd support he received in Melbourne and revealed that Ash Barty's father had also noted their pulling power.
Some took Kyrgios' comments as a subtle swipe at Barty, who also won her first Australian Open title on Saturday night as she went the entire tournament without dropping a set.
But Kyrgios has come out on social media to clarify his comments and hit out at the media for suggesting his words had any malice behind them.
"F*** you media,” Kyrgios wrote in an Instagram story.
"Honestly, I said nothing disrespectful to @ashbarty — I said that the crowd this year was amazing and I feel as if @the_kokk1 and I were a big part of that. Ash’s father came to me and even said that.
"All I said was that when people watch me around the world the stadiums are full. I grew up with Ash and always knew her potential."
The fairytale is complete 🏆
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2022
🇦🇺 @TKokkinakis and @NickKyrgios defeat Matt Ebden and Max Purcell 7-5 6-4 to become the #AO2022 men's doubles champions.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/eLAmS0l3Fq
Kyrgios then took a shot at Purcell, who after losing the men's doubles final commented that the triumphant duo may have turned off overseas tennis fans watching their matches due to their on-court behaviour.
"As for @maxpurcell you donut, regarding your comments after the match you clearly have no idea about entertainment and sport,” Kyrgios added.
"If you haven’t noticed there is a reason why people actually come to my matches, it’s because the level and my game are actually worth watching.
"Next time you lose another slam final, you should just put your head down and try to figure out how to play the big points better.
"No need to slate other Aussies in the media cuz people would rather watch paint dry than your s and v (serve and volley) game style."
Despite their incredible Australian Open win, Kyrgios has admitted that he won't be playing regular men's doubles with Kokkinakis this year.