Nick Kyrgios dragged him into a bizarre row with a heckler during a quarter final match against Rafa Nadal.
But Ben Stiller appeared to be in excellent spirits as he watched the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament with his wife Christine Taylor in Indian Wells, California, on Thursday.
The comedian, 56, and his actress wife, who he recently reunited with, were seen laughing and waving after they were pulled into the unexpected match drama.
Top form: Ben Stiller appeared to be in excellent spirits as he watched the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament with his wife Christine Taylor in Indian Wells, California, on Thursday
Ben cut a casual figure in a simple navy polo shirt and showed off his natural grey hair while Christine, 50, looked chic in a boho purple dress with puffed sleeves.
The Zoolander star appeared to see the funny side after he was roped into a dramatic exchange with a fan by Australia’s Nick Kyrgios.
While dealing with a heckler, Kyrgios singled out the actor in the crowd and said ‘do I tell him how to act?’.
In the exchange, Kyrgios asked the fan: ‘Are you good at tennis?’
To which the heckler replied: ‘No.’
Row: The comedian, 56, and his actress wife, who he recently reunited with, were seen laughing and waving after they were pulled into unexpected match drama by Nick Kyrgios
It prompted Kyrgios to drag Ben into the bizarre row, saying: ‘Exactly, so don’t tell me how to play. [Pointing at Stiller and his wife who were sitting nearby] Do I tell him how to act? No.’
Thankfully, the Meet The Parents star appeared to find the incident humorous, as he was seen grinning with his wife.
But Nick’s outburst involving Ben was not the only incident during the tense tournament, which he lost 7-6 (7-0) 5-7 6-4 to world No 1 Rafa Nadal.
In the third and deciding set, one fan in the crowd screamed out while Kyrgios was serving, costing him the point and ultimately the match.
Tirade: The Zoolander star appeared to see the funny side after he was roped into a dramatic exchange with a heckler by Australia’s Nick Kyrgios (pictured)
He went into full meltdown, abusing the heckler and also chair umpire Carlos Bernardes.
‘How long you going to let that s**t go on for?’ Kyrgios raged.
‘How long bro? How long?
‘If you did something about it before now it wouldn’t have happened. It happens again and again and again.
‘Look at the f***ing score … it’s your job to control [heckling fans], no one else’s. You’re allowing it over and over and over again, say something.
Tension: While dealing with a heckler, Kyrgios singled out the actor in the crowd and said ‘do I tell him how to act?’
‘Well done bro, well done. Unbelievable job of controlling the crowd.’
To cap off the tirade, Kyrgios asked Bernardes, ‘Are you, like?’ before pointing to his head and making a face to insinuate the chair umpire might be stupid.
Later, when Kyrgios lost the match, he shook hands with Nadal before smashing his racket into the court – forcing a ball boy to duck for cover.
‘What would you like me to say about it? Obviously, was that my intention? No. Because I threw a racquet. Did I throw the racquet anywhere near him originally? It landed a metre from my foot and skidded and nearly hit him. I’m human. Things happen like that,’ Kyrgios said in the post-match press conference.
‘Obviously it was a very misfortunate bounce. I think if I did that a million times over it wouldn’t have gone that way. And what do you want me to say? It was three metres away from the kid. That’s a question you’re going to say after a three-hour battle against Nadal. That’s what you come here with?’
Sweet: It comes after Ben spent the pandemic rekindling his relationship with Christine after they quarantined together with their children (pictured with daughter Ella in 2019)
In contrast, Nadal was a gentlemen throughout the contest and reserved praise for Kyrgios despite the verbal napalm the Australian unleashed.
‘Nick is one of the most talented players on tour… when he’s playing with motivation and passion, he’s someone who can win against anyone,’ Nadal said after coasting his way through the remainder of the third set.
Ben’s appearance at the tennis quarter final match comes after he spent the pandemic rekindling his relationship with his wife Christine after they quarantined together with their children.
Speaking to Esquire, the actor explained: ‘We were separated and got back together and we’re happy about that’.
‘It’s been really wonderful for all of us. Unexpected, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic.’
Reunited: Speaking to Esquire, the actor explained: ‘We were separated and got back together and we’re happy about that’ (pictured together in 2019)
Stiller then came up with an analogy involving horseback riding to describe how his views on marriage have changed over the past few years.
He said, ‘A few years ago, I realized I don’t like horseback riding. If there’s an opportunity to go horseback riding, I’m probably not going to do it. Now, I like horses! I think they’re beautiful. I like petting them.’
‘I like watching people ride horses, I like watching my kids ride horses. I just don’t really love riding horses. And once you know that, it just saves a lot of energy.
‘So, yeah, I think we have a respect for the ways that we’re similar and the ways we’re different. And I think accepting that, you can really appreciate someone more because you’re not trying to get them to change for you. Once you accept that, you save a lot of energy.
”This is something that works for me; this is something that doesn’t work for me.’ If you have that trust level with your partner, you know that me saying ‘I don’t like doing that thing’ is not me saying ‘I don’t like you.”
Marriage: Ben and Christine met in the late 1990s while shooting a sitcom pilot that never made it to air and then married in 2000 in Kauai
Ben and Christine met in the late 1990s while shooting a sitcom pilot that never made it to air and then married in 2000 in Kauai.
They then welcomed two children into the world – a 19-year-old daughter called Ella and a 16-year-old son called Quinlin.
However 17 years after the wedding they announced that they were separating, giving a joint statement to Entertainment Tonight.
‘With tremendous love and respect for each other, and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate.’
They remained friends during their separation – and an Esquire profile of Ben revealed that they are back together.
Family: They welcomed two children into the world – a 19-year-old daughter called Ella and a 16-year-old son called Quinlin – with whom they are pictured in 2016
