Nick Kyrgios has been labeled the bad boy of tennis due to his tempestuous demeanour, most notably during this year's Wimbledon. The 20-year-old Australian has attracted enormous amounts of attention due to his antics that continue to overshadow his ability. It appears that you either love him or you hate him. While Kyrgios himself excuses his behavior as being a 'character' others label it as completely out of order, and it appears to be getting worse.
How Is He Controversial?
During this year's Australian Open he received multiple fines for audible obscenity. During his fourth round match against Andreas Seppi, he shouted “Get off your fu**ing phone!” to a fan, and later on, “Oi! Where are you going?” to a handful of fans leaving before the end of the match. His behavior caused plenty of fury, but Kyrgios' most infamous antics came during this year's Wimbledon, and the irony is fabulous. Kyrgios' narky press conferences and brash behavior came at the most prestigious and austere tournament on tour.
Nick's first incident came in the first round where he had a run in with umpire Mohammed Layhani. The Australian threatened to stop playing after a controversial line call lost him a vital point in the third set of his match against Diego Schwartzman. "I will sit out here and wait. I'm not going to play. I'm going to get him [the tournament official] to come out, that's the rules. Are you serious right now or not?' Kyrgios demanded an official to come on court to clarify the rules. Shortly after the argument, he was heard saying 'dirty scum' in the direction of his coaching staff, but Kyrgios denies talking to anybody other than himself. He went on to win the match in straight sets, excusing the incident as getting lost in the 'heat of the moment'.
The offence that kicked off the most backlash though, was the dreaded 'tanking' in his fourth round loss to Richard Gasquet. Tanking (losing a match/game/set on purpose) is one of tennis' most despised offences. In the third game of the second set of the match, Kyrgios evidently tanked a game, failing to return any of Gasquet's serves. The crowd erupted in boo's, as any respect they still had for the Australian slipped away distastefully.
Sulky Kyrgios continued to provide plenty of entertainment, though. He decided to take one pair of his socks off (who knows why he was wearing two) at the change of ends, keeping Gasquet waiting. The umpire had a word with him calmly, but Kyrgios told him that if he were to get angry, he would have reached 'another level.' The Aussie went on to take a stab at Rafa's time between points, explaining that 'Rafa and stuff take 30 seconds in between points every time.' Not only was his accusation incorrect, but it was totally unnecessary.
Kyrgios blatantly denied the tanking claims in his press conference after the match. Members of the press were convinced he had tanked, but the Australian talked back to them, inviting them to try and return Gasquet's serve, insisting that he was making an effort. During his match - Gasquet, Kyrgios also hugged a ball boy, to which he explained was because 'I just felt like a hug. I guess everyone now and then wants a hug.' The ball boy awkwardly stood still until Kyrgios released him.
It's no secret that tennis worships the good guys of tennis, and fans love a bit of fun on the tour. Exciting and charismatic players such as Monfils are a big part of the ATP and provide the harmless fun the fans enjoy. There's a fine line between being a showman and being a fool, but it is possible to be a showman while still keeping your rackets intact and having qualities that are respected among players and umpires. Kyrgios is yet to understand this.
His Future
Kyrgios is only 20 years old, but that's not an excuse for his behaviour. He's a role model for future generations, so he has to be careful of how he behaves. Perhaps a positive to his antics is that they promote the sport in a new and trendy way for young people, but this can easily backfire. We shouldn't be encouraging kids and teenagers to look up to a code violating, racket abuser like Kyrgios. Regardless of this though, he is most certainly a breath of fresh air. Maybe that's what tennis needs, minus the tanking, of course.
It's likely that as Nick grows up he'll mature, and realise that his attitude is not one that will gain him respect as a big star of the future. In the past, composure has always won over character. The top players of the past and present prove that a calm head helps. If he can sort his head out, then he will be hugely successful. He has the talent and ambition to succeed.
Player's Opinions
Richard Gasquet, the Australian's conqueror in the fourth round of Wimbledon this year, speaks very fondly of him.
"I have nothing to complain about. It's true, he likes the show, of course. Everybody can see that. But it's good to have some players like that on the circuit. Sometimes people are talking because the players are boring or something. Now we have someone who is doing different things." The Frenchman has a valid point, but this brings us back to the same question, does a player have to hurl abuse and break rackets to be fun? It's true that Nick has a lot of positive and intriguing qualities, but he needs to filter out his negative ones.
Somebody that can definitely relate to playing under pressure is Andy Murray, who is constantly weighed down with the hopes of a nation. The Brit sympathizes with Kyrgios and explains, “I don’t think people always appreciate how difficult it is to grow up under the spot-light and how difficult it is to have lots of people expecting you to be perfect.' Murray is fond of the Australian, and it appears that he has nothing but respect for him. “I like Nick, I’ve spoken to him away from the court and he’s quite different to how he is on it.” "He'll find his way. I imagine for now it is very difficult. When you are 19 years old, you don't know exactly who you are. You just need a bit of time to develop."
Murray's not the only top player that defends Kyrgios either, Roger Federer has been vocal in press on the tanking incident at Wimbledon. The Swiss was asked whether he regarded it as disrespectful, and the 17-time grand slam champion had plenty to say on the matter;
It appears that many players defend the Australian, which begs the question, is he really the villain the media portray him to be? He's got a lot of growing up to do, but there's no doubt that he's exciting. The fact of the matter is though, that he doesn't have the results to be arrogant on and off the court. Not only is arrogance an ugly trait, but it's even less valid when somebody hardly has the right to be. Our current era is all about humility. Rafa, who claps his opponents off court, and Roger, who never fails to compliment them, are the role models of tennis right now. We're eager for a fresh approach to our sport, but humility is a characteristic that should never go out of date.
You either see Nick Kyrgios as a perpetuous wild child or like McEnroe, a 'breath of fresh air.' Regardless of your stance, there is no denying that the Australian has talent, but also, that his antics have crossed the line. Whether it's due to pressure or not, racket smashing and tanking are in no way acceptable. We're all for an exciting and passionate player, but respect and maturity always have to play a part. The next few years for Kyrgios will be telling. Will he mature, or will his antics continue to spiral out of control? Watch this space, and in the meantime, enjoy the ride.