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I like Nick Kyrgios. I haven’t heard anything about him for a while, so I thought that might be a good time to write something about him as he just won something.
Kyrgios’ skill and power are widely acknowledged, but it doesn’t look like anyone is interested in him actually performing. He is currently plying his trade on the Asian hard court swing of the ATP World Tour.
I figure we haven’t heard much about him lately because he hasn’t lost his temper, smashed a racquet or had a go at a linesman for a few weeks. It’s natural for the tennis media and public to enjoy the ‘Brat’.
There have been quite a few of them in the men’s professional game. The ‘Super Brat’ John McEnroe takes the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) title on that front with great ease.
Kyrgios remained composed throughout the tournament taking out the final against Belgian David Goffin. The title is now Kyrgios’ biggest tournament win, which will also see him gain valuable ranking points for a crack at a year end top ten finish.
The tennis public and social commentators are fixated with Kyrgios’ failings. To be fair, just like all of us, he has a few. A professional athlete is supposed to be composed, skilful and humble according to Australian societal standards. How many of us really uphold these values in our daily professional lives?
Someone that participates in a publicly viewed medium such as sport or politics, are by default held to higher values and standards than the rest of us. However, our perception of the breaching of those standards only becomes evident when pressure causes a breakdown of composure that then leads to the poor or incomplete attempt at the desired task, a conundrum familiar to many of us.
Enter the tennis commentators discussing Kyrgios’ attitude, his desire for success in the game and his on and off court demeanour.
Kyrgios was clinical beyond his own high skill set in putting away Gael Monfils in their Tokyo semi final. The highlight reel of phenomenal shot making is increasing for Kyrgios’ who seems to be gifted with skills many other quality tennis players do not possess.
Some of the anger directed at Kyrgios comes from peoples of fear of not seeing him fulfill his own potential. However, what we should ask is what is potential and who has the right to give it out or expect its rewards?
His job is to play tennis for money and he doesn’t have to like it. Sometimes he might go all right and sometimes he might just want to quit. It has a familiar ring to it.
If Kyrgios didn’t reach his ‘potential’, he would merely be another professional tennis player who just played. There have been so many. Richard Gasquet was one of the most gifted junior players of his era.
He is a current top 20 player and has ranked in the top 50 for much of his career. How do we then assess his career, which I’m sure he would point out is not yet over? No Grand Slam titles, thirteen tour titles.
Just another tennis player? How harsh.
In the Tokyo final Kyrgios overcame a set deficit to calmly claim the title without incident. Just like a tennis player should. Beyond the obvious possibility that this may well be Kyrgios coming of age in some way,
Kyrgios will now head to China for the Shanghai Rolex Masters full of confidence after a quality week. If and when Kyrgios breaks through for a coveted Grand Slam title everyone will say they knew he could, that he had it in him and we will rejoice the story of how he overcame his attitude issues on the court as a younger player.
I just enjoy watching him play tennis the way he wants to, not the way we all think he should.
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