Nick Kyrgios has broken his seven-year hoodoo to once again reach a Grand Slam quarter-final, his first since the 2015 Australian Open when he was just a teenager.
In a five-set thriller on Centre Court, Kyrgios overcame 20-year-old American Brandon Nakashima, becoming the first Aussie male to reach the All England Club final eight since he did it on debut back in 2014.
Kyrgios will now face Chilean Cristian Garin, who defeated fellow Aussie Alex de Minaur in a heartbreaking four-hour match, for a place in the semi-finals.
It’s been 17 years since an Australian male has reached a semi at any of the Majors, the last being Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon back in 2005.
But like all things Kyrgios, the match was not without some apparent controversy.
Wimbledon is known to be proud of its tradition, with strict clothing and apparel rules set in place for every player.
The rules state: “competitors must be dressed in suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white and this applies from the point at which the player enters the court surround”.
Now Kyrgios abided by the all-white dress code for the duration of his match, but one reporter noted that Kyrgios did not enter or leave Centre Court in all white, instead opting to wear his white and red Air Jordan 1 sneakers and an all-red Jordan brand cap.
In a fiery post-match media conference, a reporter - seemingly trying to bait Kyrgios - suggested that tournament officials would be speaking to the Aussie and asked why he was breaking the rules.
"Because I do what I want. I'm not above the rules. I just like wearing my Jordans," he said.
"That's more attention for me. What's that saying; any publicity's good publicity, right? Keep doing you then, champion," he told the reporter with a wink.
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Kyrgios admitted later that he will be wearing “some triple white[s]” Jordan’s for his next outing.
Wearing red before a match is not something new, just ask John McEnroe, but the Wimbledon dress code has become stricter over time.
The rules go as far as governing what colour underwear players can wear, drawing mass controversy each year.
