Tennis pro’s bro gets some Sportsbet coverage at Australian open

The Australian media is currently debating whether a professional tennis player’s brother watching him play in the Australian Open was paid to wear a T-shirt carrying the logo of a prominent online sports betting firm.

Christos Kyrgios (29) was spotted among the spectators watching his younger brother Nick playing in the prestigious tennis tournament. He was wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Chill bro” beneath a Sportsbet logo, prompting accusations that he was promoting gambling.

Observers noted that Sportsbet is a subsidiary of Paddy Power, a betting company well known for its often controversial and exploitive “guerrilla marketing” stunts.

Ironically, the Aussie Open is sponsored by Sportsbet rival William Hill, which commented:

‘We’re committed to maintaining a positive image and supporting the sport of tennis by paying our partnership fees, and we will continue to do so in the future.’

Sportsbet declined to comment on the incident.

In the event, 22-year-old Nick Kyrgios triumphed over opponent Viktor Troicki in the second round match despite several disruptions to the game by spectators, faulty sound equipment and a noisy helicopter hovering overhead.

See the vid here.

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