Australian Nick Kyrgios has been banned for eight competition weeks and fined $25,000 (£20,560) for his conduct – including “absence of best endeavors” – amid a week ago’s Shanghai Masters.
The 21-year-old congratulated the ball over the net a few times when serving in his 6-3 6-1 crush by Mischa Zverev.
He likewise started strolling back to his seat before a Zverev serve had landed.
Kyrgios has consented to an ATP plan that he counsel a games therapist, which would lessen the boycott to three weeks.
The world number 14 said he was “truly sorry” and would “use this time off to improve on and off the court”.
He added: “I regret that my year is ending this way. I do understand and respect the decision by the ATP.
“The season has been a long one as I battled several injuries and other challenges towards the end of the summer.
“My body finally just gave out in Shanghai both physically and mentally.
“This is no excuse, and I know very well that I need to apologise to the fans.”
Kyrgios’ eight-week suspension would end on 15 January 2017, however by focusing on the ATP’s “plan of care under the direction of a sports psychologist” he will have the capacity to return on 7 November.
Tennis Australia said Kyrgios has consented to look for expert help and that it would keep on offering exhortation.
Amid his match against Zverev, Kyrgios additionally contended with a fan and got a code infringement for swearing, after which he was fined $16,500 (£13,546) for rupturing the ATP set of accepted rules.
A week ago, British world number two Andy Murray said he was “not convinced” a fine was the best arrangement.
“Sometimes players do need protecting. Sometimes he goes into press and says things he regrets,” said the Scot.
“In those situations he maybe needs to be guided a little bit better.”
World number one Novak Djokovic said: “I share the opinion of many players and many people in the tennis world that he’s one of the greatest talents the game has seen lately.”
In 2015, Kyrgios was banned for 28 days and fined $25,000 for making vulgar comments about Stan Wawrinka’s better half amid a Rogers Cup coordinate in Montreal.
He was likewise reprimanded for his showcases at Wimbledon and the US Open, and pulled back from Rio 2016 after a column with the Australian Olympic Committee.
The length of the suspension is less noteworthy than the reality this game-plan has been picked. The ATP will trust this stuns the Australian into tending to all the more genuinely the issues which are keeping down his vocation.
Kyrgios’ conduct in Shanghai was unsuitable, as it has been on various events before. Be that as it may, blame and authorize can just ever be a piece of the arrangement.
