Nick Kyrgios tells fans demanding apology to 'man up' - after he swore at them

The spat started when four spectators at the tournament were apparently making noise as the Australian prepared to serve during his clash with Dudi Sela.

The 21-year-old told them to “shut the f*** up”, causing his Israeli opponent to confront him at the end before the umpire intervened.

Kyrgios won Tuesday’s match 3-6 6-3 6-3, but it was overshadowed by claims the fans felt threatened by his four-letter tirade and were requesting an apology.

The Aussie replied in typically blunt fashion, responding to a news article detailing their complaints with the words “man up”.

Kyrgios has since reached the quarter-finals in Mexico, where he will face Novak Djokovic.

If they were talking during his serve – by far his most potent weapon – of course he’s going to be annoyed. It’s hardly a deadly sin to swear on court. Listen to most tennis matches closely and you’ll hear naughty language in amongst the grunts.

Although swearing at fans is stupid, the fans are being overly precious by demanding an apology. It was said in the heat of the moment and is simply another excuse to peddle some overblown Kyrgios coverage. The criticism is often justified, but not this time. However, perhaps you should let the umpire deal with any disturbances next time, Nick!