Tennis: Kyrgios referee suspended for coaching

Mohamed Lahyani has been suspended by the ATP after his “coaching” for Nick Kyrgios at the US Open. He had endangered the “necessary impartiality of the arbitrators”.

Lahyani will now miss the next two tournaments of the ATP tour, the China Open in Beijing and the Shanghai Masters. The Swede had addressed the past Kyrgios at the US Open and asked him to make more efforts. Since the impartial one left his chair for it, accusations of an impartiality became loud fast.

ATP has now confirmed this with its decision. Kyrgios claimed that he had not listened to Lahyani, but the Australian turned the match around and finally beat the Frenchman Pierre-Hughes. He had subsequently demanded a punishment for Lahyani and felt disadvantaged.

The organizers of the US Open themselves did not take any action against the referee. Nevertheless, Lahyani was only used outdoors and thus removed from public attention. Lahyani will now be absent until mid-October, when he will be reinstated in Stockholm.