Nick Kyrgios thinks 'Canadians probably support their athletes a little better than the Australians do'

TORONTO — Even when playing in Canada, Nick Kyrgios found a way to take a swipe at his home country.

Minutes after a stunning 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-3 first-round loss at the hands of 17-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov at the Rogers Cup on Monday night, the No. 19-ranked Australian was asked if he had any advice for Shapovalov, who had just won the biggest match of his young career.

“I think the Canadians probably support their athletes a little better than the Australians do. I think he's going to do great. He has a great support team,” he said.

Like Shapovalov, who recently won the junior Wimbledon title, Kyrgios was a gifted teenager who found himself thrust into the spotlight a few years ago after some promising results at the majors. When asked to elaborate on his comment, he responded, “I think it speaks for itself.”

In June, the 21-year-old Kyrgios pulled out of the Rio Olympic Games after a feud with the Australian Olympic Committee. In his official statement announcing his withdrawal, he wrote, “The AOC's unfair and unjust treatment of me over the last four weeks, as well as the organization's crystal clear position on whether they want me to be a part of the Australian Olympic team, has solidified my final decision."

Earlier, the AOC chef de mission had said Kyrgios and fellow Australian Bernard Tomic had been "on watch" because of behaviour.

The top-ranked Australian, who is known as much for his antics as he his for his massive potential, often finds himself in the headlines — and not always for the right reasons. In the past, he’s exhibited poor behaviour on court and many will recall the trouble he got in after his vulgar remark toward Stan Wawrinka during last year’s event in Montreal, after which he received a fine and was put on watch by the ATP.

At this year's Canadian event, once again, people are talking about Kyrgios for the wrong reasons after his surprising early-round exit. After the match, he did, however, give credit to his opponent.

“Obviously he can play in big moments. He won Wimbledon, obviously. That's not easy,” he said of Shapovalov. “He has a long way to go obviously to get to the top 100, but I have no doubt he will get there quickly. He has to keep playing his game and keep working hard.”