A lot has been said about Nick Kyrgios’ attitude on the tennis court. Here is some more. He is pretty good.
Kyrgios is probably the best Australian tennis talent of the last 10 years. So how come we are all so upset about a guy who plays well, has good skills and who isn’t afraid to be himself?
Sport is made interesting by good play and good characters. Tennis has had its fair share of brats, whiners and showboats. Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Marat Safin to name a few have filled the game over the years with antics that some people love and others hate.
Other sports rely on cult heroes and players that stand out from the crowd to entice kids to play and parents to watch. Have a look at the rising cult status of rugby union player Nick ‘The Honey Badger’ Cummins.
The poor old ‘Badge’ as he likes to be known didn’t make the cut in the Wallabies squad yesterday but that won’t stop him being himself. He has single-handedly maintained the tenuous legitimacy of the Western Force rugby club in Perth.
Now, what of Nick Kyrgios? Kyrgios’ second round Wimbledon match went by without a hiccup, except for a brief exchange with the umpire, and a reprimand for swearing. Apart from that the match was won in straight sets against former top 10 player, Juan Monaco.
Kyrgios had also brought attention to himself in his first round match when he disputed a line call and briefly declined to play. All in a day’s work for the big serving Canberran. Something is different about Kyrgios though. He is not your average angry tennis player.
Amongst all the swearing and anger Kyrgios asked the crowd, speaking to the Australian fans known as the Fanatics, “How do you know all these songs?”. The exchange brought laughter from the entire court. His performance was quality. He is a skilled guy. The singing continued, after each point. It was like it was Australia Day.
He then attempted to chase down one of Monaco’s powerfully struck off forehands. Failing to reach the ball he shouted with a huge grin, “Oh, that’s ridiculous!”. The crowd agreed with laughter that it was a good shot and enjoyed his honest assessment of the situation.
Kyrgios provides a very human look at a tennis player that we don’t often see. I don’t want to get down on the ‘Great One’ (Roger Federer) but the modern game’s structure was created by the example that Federer set though his continued dominance of the sport.
These days it’s even more exciting to see the Fed Express exclaim in anger and joy on the court. We can feel closer to him as a player and a person when we witness such things. He is no longer an untouchable genius who may not be human.
Kyrgios has skills it is clear, and although he is early in his career he has not been shy in showing them off. He made global headlines last year for the tweener winner he hit against Rafael Nadal in the fourth round to set up a quarter-final spot and another chance to play on the centre court at tennis’ most holy venue.
The big tournaments throughout the year understand the importance of the fans’ engagement with the players. Tennis players are famous people and they truly play in a game with a global reach. This makes it hard for the ATP and WTA tours and the grand slam organisers to maintain the connection between players and fans with the vast geography of the game.
These big tournaments often play fan and kids days before the beginning of the first rounds to allow fans to watch their favourite players in a different and often more relaxed environment.
Kyrgios transcends this concept by acting like himself in his normal tour matches. Talking and interacting with the crowd creates a spectacle beyond the normal shot after shot. He is of the generation where engagement means feeling like you are direct friends with your idols. Just like on Facebook and Twitter. He talks to people like he knows them, through his tweets and on court.
Why is it such a bad thing to show emotions like anger and happiness when playing sport? People say Kyrgios has a bad attitude because he has a problem with authority and controlling his temper. I don’t think this is so. He certainly has an easily identifiable attitude.
His nervous energy comes through both his body and his mouth. To a large extent these types of reactions and outbursts are like hiccups or sneezing. They are natural and uncontrollable. I would be nervous playing on any court at Wimbledon, and I think he is too.
Furthermore, Australians in general used to have a problem with authority. We disliked the British because they were the authority. Now we are shocked about a young guy mouthing off because he cares about winning. We are shocked because he cares about his future in every moment he is out forging a career.
Maybe it is indicative of the way our society has changed. We have become more high end and snobbish and we dislike people breaking the status quo or achieving above us; that old tall poppy syndrome that rears its head quite often in this country.
Maybe it’s that and maybe it’s not. The reality is that Kyrgios keeps winning and keeps us talking, so his formula works. He should be afforded time, he is young. He has a lot to give to the game and to tennis in Australia.
Just like Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator, Kyrgios doesn’t care who the Emperor is. He will fight whomever; he doesn’t waste time with fitting into society’s predetermined framework.
Kyrgios was recently named one of the most marketable sports people in Australia, primarily because of his personality. He will be rewarded for his antics, handsomely.
Just overnight he wanted so much to watch his mates Thanasi Kokkinakis and Lleyton Hewitt play in their doubles match that he tried to climb the fence of Court 14. He was swiftly told to climb down.
Here we are, all caring a great deal about what this guy does. Just like in Gladiator, it doesn’t matter if Maximus dies or lives (sorry, old movie spoiler), everyone still thinks he is pretty cool.
I’m entertained. Aren’t you?
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