Nick Kyrgios, the “bad boy” of tennis, has been making a name for himself at the 2022 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Tournament in London. As the first Australian men’s Grand Slam finalist since Lleyton Hewitt at the Australian Open in 2005, he breezed past Cristian Garin in Wimbledon quarterfinals last Wednesday, and he doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Yet, Kyrgios is known for his circus-like theatrics and fiery tantrums on tour, which begs the question of whether he is a blessing or a nightmare for the sport that is constantly battling for attention.
For the past 20 years, men’s singles tennis has been dominated by the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic: dominating mega-champions who display an air of steady professionalism both on and off the court. And then there’s Nick Kyrgios, a controversial but immensely talented player who does what he wants, never sparing a thought for the publicity and scrutiny that is always sure to follow.
Kyrgios is known to disappear for long periods of time, only playing tournaments when he wants to, but always wreaking havoc and delivering edge-of-your-seat entertainment when he does. Delivering ace after ace on tour combined with a mirage of risky shots makes Kyrgios a fan-favorite for those with an acquired taste, even as he racks up tens of thousands of dollars in fines for unsportsmanlike conduct, code violations, and audible obscenities.
“Everywhere I go I’m seeing full stadiums,” he commented after winning an intense battle earlier in his Wimbledon campaign against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas. “The media loves to write that I am bad for the sport but clearly not.”
Indeed, the stadium of Wimbledon’s famous Centre Court was completely packed on Saturday night as the Australian talent beat Tsitsipas 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7) — amidst irritated outbursts, loud complaints, and heated confrontations between the two players. Kyrgios’s brattiness not only roiled the onlookers but obviously wormed its way into his opponent’s head, causing Tsitsipas to angrily hit a ball straight into the crowd and later send another into the opposing scoreboard, narrowly missing Kyrgios.
“When I feel like other people disrespect me and don’t respect what I’m doing from the other side of the court, it’s absolute normal from my side to act and do something about it,” claimed Tsitsipas.
A forced walkover in the semifinals from Rafael Nadal has granted Kyrgios an automatic spot into the Wimbledon men’s finals, bestowing his closest attempt yet at winning his first Grand Slam. Kyrgios is set to play Novak Djokovic on July 10th in a promising action-packed bid as the vastly experienced Djokovic seeks his 21st title in the stadium he plays best in. Although Djokovic is nearly unstoppable on grass, Kyrgios has never dropped a set within the two encounters the pair have had so far (both on hard court). Regardless of the outcome, the match is sure to go down in tennis history.
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For the past 20 years, men’s singles tennis has been dominated by the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic: dominating mega-champions who display an air of steady professionalism both on and off the court. And then there’s Nick Kyrgios, a controversial but immensely talented player who does what he wants, never sparing a thought for the publicity and scrutiny that is always sure to follow.
Kyrgios is known to disappear for long periods of time, only playing tournaments when he wants to, but always wreaking havoc and delivering edge-of-your-seat entertainment when he does. Delivering ace after ace on tour combined with a mirage of risky shots makes Kyrgios a fan-favorite for those with an acquired taste, even as he racks up tens of thousands of dollars in fines for unsportsmanlike conduct, code violations, and audible obscenities.
“Everywhere I go I’m seeing full stadiums,” he commented after winning an intense battle earlier in his Wimbledon campaign against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas. “The media loves to write that I am bad for the sport but clearly not.”
Indeed, the stadium of Wimbledon’s famous Centre Court was completely packed on Saturday night as the Australian talent beat Tsitsipas 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7) — amidst irritated outbursts, loud complaints, and heated confrontations between the two players. Kyrgios’s brattiness not only roiled the onlookers but obviously wormed its way into his opponent’s head, causing Tsitsipas to angrily hit a ball straight into the crowd and later send another into the opposing scoreboard, narrowly missing Kyrgios.
“When I feel like other people disrespect me and don’t respect what I’m doing from the other side of the court, it’s absolute normal from my side to act and do something about it,” claimed Tsitsipas.
A forced walkover in the semifinals from Rafael Nadal has granted Kyrgios an automatic spot into the Wimbledon men’s finals, bestowing his closest attempt yet at winning his first Grand Slam. Kyrgios is set to play Novak Djokovic on July 10th in a promising action-packed bid as the vastly experienced Djokovic seeks his 21st title in the stadium he plays best in. Although Djokovic is nearly unstoppable on grass, Kyrgios has never dropped a set within the two encounters the pair have had so far (both on hard court). Regardless of the outcome, the match is sure to go down in tennis history.
Link to article: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656877247472x354500886515628740/Nick%20Kyrgios%2C%20a%20Dream%20and%20a%20Nightmare%20for%20Wimbledon%2C%20Is%20Winning%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
