Nick Kyrgios (27) has done Wimbledon in a week and a half what most of his colleagues will not be able to do in their entire career. In his first round match, he spat at a spectator who booed him and was fined about ten thousand euros for this. In that same game, he called a linesman who made a wrong call a “snitch”—a tell-tale.
After the game, his press conference became a show. The number 40 in the world walked into the Wimbledon Main Room with a bowl of sushi in his hand. While the eyes of the international press were on him, he painfully slowly opened a bag of soy sauce, which he poured over his sushi. The Australian answered the first questions with his mouth full, while gobbling down his Japanese meal with a fork. The peak of his Michael Jordan cap hung low over his eyes.
In this setting, Kyrgios complained, among other things, about the age of the linesmen at Wimbledon. “It’s not ideal to have so many senior linesmen in a sport with such narrow margins. Younger people have better eyes.”
Nick Kyrgios is a professional athlete and professional provocateur. The big bastard among tennis players. A former top talent who never lived up to his promise. But also the player who provides by far the most entertainment on the ATP tour with his eye-catching tennis and tricks.
The Australian’s campaign in London this year has so far reached its peak – and some say its low – in the third round in a curious match against the world No. 5 Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. On Court 1, every spot in the 12,345-seat stadium was occupied. You could only reach it if someone left. The crowd was like disaster tourists, but it was all about attraction.
Boxing match against Tsitsipas
The showdown between Kyrgios and Tsitsipas looked more like a boxing match than a tennis match. After almost every point, Kyrgios was talking, provoking – the Greek turned out to be a willing victim. Tsitsipas deliberately aimed a ball at the Australian a few times, even hitting a ball into the crowd, after which Kyrgios almost begged the umpire to disqualify his opponent.
When Kyrgios had once again used an underhand serve, Tsitsipas hit the ball hard and high towards the stands. It earned him a penalty point. Kyrgios was the convincing winner after four excellent sets – the tennis was in no way affected by the incidents. Both players were fined after the game. Tsitsipas called the Australian a “bully” in his press conference. “He also has good sides. But also a very evil side. If it comes to the surface, it can cause a lot of damage to the people around it,” said the Greek.
After the match, Kyrgios appeared at the press conference wearing a black T-shirt and cap, as if to reconsider the white Wimbledon dress code.
Largely depicted on his shirt was Dennis Rodman, the controversial former basketball player of Chicago Bulls, among others, just like Kyrgios one of the most talked about athletes of his generation.
No hard limits
Kyrgios’ behavior poses a dilemma for tennis. Almost every stadium where Kyrgios plays is sold out. Popular with ‘Generation Z’, he caters to younger fans in a sport that is beset with an aging fan base. But continuous swearing and insulting officials is not what tennis should want. However, the tennis associations have not yet set hard limits on Kyrgios’ behavior.
Before his quarterfinals at Wimbledon, Wednesday against Chilean Cristian Garin, the report also came out that Kyrgios must appear in court in Australia on August 2, because his ex-girlfriend has charged him. According to her, he would have been too heavy-handed in December last year. Kyrgios was not allowed to say anything about it after his simple victory over Garin.
Kyrgios seemed to be on the better hand in all areas. In recent months, he has been increasingly candid about his mental health issues. In February, he posted on Instagram a photo from 2019† He wrote that he injured himself during the Australian Open and thought of suicide, partly because he could not live up to the sky-high expectations. He told in a podcast that he often played matches, while he had drunk a lot the night before, such as with his tournament victory in Acapulco in 2019.
This year he dared to admit for the first time that he wants to win a grand slam tournament, and that Wimbledon is his greatest opportunity. It’s also possible, thinks John Mc Enroe. “He is the most talented player I’ve seen in the last ten years,” the American told Eurosport earlier this year.
Kyrgios has arguably the best serve of the tour. He has a technically perfect service movement. He hits his forehand with an extreme grip with which he can make a lot of topspin, corners and speed. He has an unbelievable touch† Without a coach, he knows how to ‘read’ the game in a natural way.
His underhand serve seems like a gimmick, but in an era where players are returning further and further behind the baseline, it’s also a smart weapon. Kyrgios has personally made that storage salonfähig. The ‘tweener’ – hitting the ball between the legs – is what he is known for. Kyrgios made his name with this stroke in 2014, when he beat Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon at the age of 19. That match promised a great future.
The fact that Kyrgios can now play against the Spaniard on center court for a final place on Friday, when Nadal has recovered sufficiently from his abdominal muscle injury, shows that even the greatest tennis brat matured a bit. Raising Wimbledon, filling the newspaper pages and performing on a daily basis, only Kyrgios can do that.
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