(CNN)After Nick Kyrgios was involved in another clash with a referee during his surprise first-round loss at the Shanghai Masters, Roger Federer warned the Australian may never reach his full potential.
The fiery Australian, 23, was angered by referee Damien Dumusois who saw his effort as “borderline” after it appeared Kyrgios tanked on a return of serve in the second set.
From there, Kyrgios, who recently lost his spot as Australia No. 1 to 19-year-old Alex de Minaur, made it a point to turn to Dumusois and say ‘limit’ every time he served a non-refundable serve to opponent Bradley Klahn missed.
“I think it’s really up to him where he wants to go and what his potential really is,” said Federer, who is the defending champion in Shanghai.
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“We don’t really know and I don’t think he really knows exactly what his potential is.
“And just by understanding work ethic and scheduling and whatever it is, creating the right team around you, only then can you really unlock the potential.”
It’s the third time in as many years that Kygrios’ exit from the Shanghai Masters has been mired in controversy.
Last year, the 23-year-old was fined $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct after dodging midway through his first-round match against Steve Johnson, while in 2016 he received another fine and was suspended from the ATP Tour for eight weeks for fueling has been blocked.
Despite his recent outburst, Kyrgios still received the backing of 20-time Major winner Federer to “win bigger tournaments”.
“But there is still a process that he has to go through like any other player in order to be successful,” he said.
referee examination
After the recent incidents at the US Open, one of which involved Kyrgios, referees are now under increased scrutiny.
Mohamed Lahyani, a highly experienced chair umpire, was banned from two tournaments after going “beyond protocol” for encouraging Kyrgios in his victory over Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
The China Open, which ended on Sunday, and the ongoing Shanghai Masters were the two tournaments the Swede was suspended from.
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At the US Open, Lahyani Kygrios was heard saying “I want to help you” during a substitution as he fell behind his French opponent before the Australian rallied to win in four sets.
That came before the now infamous slugfest between Serena Williams and Carlos Ramos in the women’s final, in which the American lost a game in defeat to Naomi Osaka.
During Monday’s loss, Kyrgios threatened to go to the ATP offices after the game and report Dumusois, saying he felt “devastated” by his comment.
“You would get in trouble, right?” he said. “I’ll literally just say I couldn’t play after that because I felt down. You realize that, don’t you? I won’t do it, but I’m just saying.”
Dumusois replied, “You can do it if you want, if you feel like it. If you say it and you think it is the case, you should do it. I say that honestly.”
Following the aftermath of the US Open, top referees reportedly considered forming a union as they felt Ramos was underserved and “hung out to dry”.
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