Japanese Tennis Star Apologizes After Penalty-Drawing Meltdown
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Yoshihito Nishioka has risen through the ranks over the past decade to become Japan's top-ranked men's tennis player. But even the best sports stars sometimes can't control their emotions when things don't go their way.
On Aug. 15, Nishioka faced off against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in the Cincinnati Open's round of 32. Nishioka was initially in the lead, but Hurkacz came from behind in the second set and started giving the Japanese star a run for his money.
As Hurkacz lead grew and he got closer to clinching the victory, Nishioka's temper got the best of him, as he started hitting balls into the crowd out of frustration. The chair umpire issued a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct, resulting in a point penalty and Hurkacz starting the next game up 15–0. Upset once again, Nishioka hit another ball into the stands, resulting in a one-game penalty for ball abuse. In the end, Hurkacz won the final set 6–1.
Nishioka's emotions might have gotten the better of him, and he regretted his behavior after it was all said and done.
"I had a lot of support here and in the U.S. as well, and in my home country," Nishioka told Tennis magazine after the match. “I had a good result here, beating [Serbia's Miomir] Kecmanović, who is a great player. I had good play against Hubi [Hurkacz] in our first meeting, but in the third set, I tanked a little bit."
Ultimately, he vows to behave better when he participates in the US Open later this month in New York City.
"I’m very sorry to my fans," he said. "I showed my best tennis until the second set when I couldn’t. Hopefully, there’ll be some luck for me at the US Open. I think my feel in tennis is better and better each day. I have to take care of my body a little bit and get ready for the US Open. I think I can play good tennis there."
The 2024 US Open kicks off Aug. 26.