Nick Kyrgios uses girlfriend Costeen Hatzi to slam Daria Kasatkina over Saudi Arabia tennis money

Polarising Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has drawn fire again, this time for using his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi to defend his desire to take the riches on offer in a potential Saudi Arabia-based tournament.

ATP Tour chair Andrea Gaudenzi has recently held talks with the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund about the possibility of the ATP Finals being moved to Saudi Arabia.

The oil-rich nation has invested heavily in sport in recent years, including the rebel LIV Golf tour, purchasing Premier League side Newcastle United and luring star footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to their own domestic league.

There are also talks underway for the nation to purchase the naming rights to F1.

Tennis is next on the menu and Kyrgios has previously signalled his strong desire to ‘get paid’ by the wealthy nation.

That has drawn criticism from many fans over the human rights issues that surround the gulf nation, including women’s rights and safety.

Kyrgios has been one of the highest-profile ATP players to endorse Saudi Arabia as a destination for future tournaments

Kyrgios and girlfriend Costeen Hatzi have no issues with the human rights problems in Saudi Arabia and are keen to get their hands on the cash on offer

Russian professional tennis player Daria Kasatkina came out as gay in 2022, which is considered a crime in Saudi Arabia with punishments as severe as death.

She has spoken out against the Saudi move on tennis and Kyrgios’ endorsement, saying it was a different issue for women tennis players. 

‘Many issues concerning this country. It’s easier for men bc they feel pretty good there. We don’t feel the same way. As Nick Kyrgios said, he’d be so happy to go there for a big check. For me, money is not #1 priority…’ she posted.

Kyrgios then replied: ‘My girlfriend felt fine there’.

Kyrgios has been dating Costeen Hatzi since December 2021 and she travels the world with him.

Some tennis fans implied that Kasatkina was a hyprocrite because WTA players already compete in tournaments in Middle Eastern nations.

‘She’s been playing Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar for years. What’s the difference btwn those countries and Saudi Arabia?’ one asked.

‘While I don’t disagree, the women have been quite happy to play over there at tournaments for years.’

Russia’s No.1 women’s player Daria Kasatkina said the conditions in Saudi Arabia are very different for female stars compared to men

Kasatkina came out as gay last year which is a crime in Saudi Arabia with punishment including public lashings, prison and in extreme cases the death penalty

Others were quick to lash Kyrgios for using his girlfriend as a case study despite the widely reported issues involving women’s safety in Saudi Arabia.

‘Nick that’s speaking out of personal experience. I could go and talk about how I didn’t get robbed in Rio de Janeiro, but we all know that a lot of people DO get robbed there,’ one fan replied.

‘C’mon, Nick. Don’t be stubborn. You know what’s going on there,’ added another.

‘Well she [Kasatkina] is a lesbian, so it would be harder for her. She didn’t explicitly say that tho,’ pointed out another.

‘So that means all women will [be safe]? Bit of a reach here,’ posted another. 

Kyrgios is currently sidelined with a wrist injury that forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon, where he was a men’s singles finalist last year.

Prior to that he had spent over six months out of tennis after knee surgery ruled him out of the Australian Open.