Nick Kyrgios complains of marijuana smell during US Open second round win over Tommy Haas, hits on fellow Australian
Tomas Berdych has not always had the best of relationships with his players before.
Players complain of his “nacho-esque” personality. One even said he “didn’t care for Berdych to start with.”
One player even said he preferred players like John Isner who can “hold a few poses.”
Now, at the age of 31, it’s a different story.
That’s because, on Sunday, as he walked to his seat at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the second round of the U.S. Open, the tennis great seemed to be having a chat with someone in the crowd.
After the game, Berdych turned around and asked the man who was giving him the stink eye if he was Australian.
“I didn’t even know who he was,” Berdych said. “But he’s from Australia, and we played together in junior tennis.
“He’s the one who said he’d always support me, and I said we have the same story. He gave me the stink eye, and I just said, ‘Well, I like you.’
“I don’t know if it was a joke. Obviously this happens a lot, guys talking to me, and sometimes I just ignore them. But what were you talking about?”
Later, Berdych told reporters that he didn’t want to name him publicly.
“It’s not for me to comment on it,” he said. “Hopefully, he’s not an American player. But that’s cool.”
It is not like Berdych has any problems with his American opponents.
He’s won this tournament five times. He’s had one top-10 run. And he’s lost only one round, to Haas on Tuesday.
He has also won seven of his last nine matches against American foes.
There have been four No. 1’s and a two-time defending U.S. Open champion, his biggest