Nick Kyrgios responded to fans who booed him at the Shanghai Masters by saying: "I don't owe them anything."
The Australian patted the ball over the net several times when serving as he lost 6-3 6-1 to Mischa Zverev.
He also began walking back to his chair before a serve from qualifier Zverev had landed, argued with a fan and received a code violation for swearing.
It came a day after the 21-year-old said he was "bored" during his first-round victory over Sam Querrey.
Kyrgios admitted he "took the easy way out" and "tapped out a little bit" against Zverev, but insisted the crowd were wrong to criticise him.
"I feel like if they knew what they were talking about they'd be on the tennis court and being successful," he said.
"I can't really understand it at all. They don't know what I'm going through.
"If you don't like it, I didn't ask you to come watch. Just leave. If you're so good at giving advice and so good at tennis, why aren't you as good as me? Why aren't you on the tour?"
Kyrgios also said he "couldn't care less" if he reaches the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London, which features the top eight players in the world.
Kyrgios is ranked 12th in the world after winning the Japan Open on Sunday.
It is the highest ranking he has reached in a career which has seen him fall foul of the tennis authorities for his behaviour.
Kyrgios was last year fined $1,500 for a foul-mouthed outburst while playing in Shanghai.
That came two months after he was given a suspended 28-day ban for making a sexual comment about Stan Wawrinka's girlfriend during a match.
Earlier this year, his attitude was questioned after he lost convincingly to Andy Murray in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
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