Yoshihito Nishioka had a full-blown meltdown at the end of his second-round match at the Cincinnati Open on Thursday.
After going down 3-1 in the third and final set, the 28-year-old launched not one, not two, but three tennis balls into the crowd in a display of fury. Nishioka wasn't done there, smacking another ball into the crowd after opponent Hubert Hurkacz recorded an ace later in the set.
The Japanese lefthander was just getting started, racking up multiple code violations for unsportsmanlike conduct and point penalties. Nishioka also was given a code violation for "ball abuse," which resulted in a game penalty.
Crazy Game Penalty
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 15, 2024
The third set of Hurkacz vs Nishioka was full of drama... #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/i0Tar88wxr
"What's he doing? What is he doing?" the broadcaster asked. "He's completely lost his mind. Self-destruction, if you like."
From there, the 52nd-ranked player in the world showed no interest in continuing the contest and appeared to give up on the last few points. Hurkacz finished with a 3-6, 7-6, 6-1 victory.
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