What to make of Nick Kyrgios? Is he the most exciting new talent to crash the Australian tennis scene since Wally Masur, or is he just a boorish show-off who needs a good clip around the ear?
Or is he both? And more pertinently, is the fact that he’s one the reason he’s the other?
There is no question that being the great white hope of Australian tennis is a tough gig. You’re under constant pressure and intense scrutiny from the public, who enjoy pretending to care about tennis whenever there’s a chance to pass judgment on an elite athlete they’ve never met.
If there’s anything harder than passing through the furnace of Australian expectation and reaching the top, it’s doing so while remaining beloved. Lleyton Hewitt succeeded mightily but caused a large percentage of those whom he might’ve expected to cheer for him barrack loudly for his every opponent.
Mark Philippoussis managed to fail to achieve his potential on court and be deeply unpopular at the same time. Bernard Tomic looked about ready to make records for quickest journey from prodigy to implosion before Kyrgios came along to relieve him of the burden.
Who do we have to show us that being an Australian tennis star who is also beloved of the public is possible? Pat Rafter, and I’m not even sure he’s human – those underpants ads are deeply suspicious.
We can slam Kyrgios all we like, and demand that he show himself in a good light as a human being while beating the best in the world, but what if it’s just not possible? What if there is an obnoxious jerk gene in humans which, when activated, also supplies abundant tennis-playing talent?
It would explain John McEnroe. And Jimmy Connors. And Thomas Muster. And… well you can just look up ‘tennis’ on Wikipedia for a full list. Even by the wanker-intensive standards of professional sport, tennis is amazingly well-stocked with wankers, and has been for decades.
It’s not really that surprising. Look at it from Kyrgios’s point of view. Imagine you were a tall, handsome 20-year-old who suddenly found himself rich and famous and travelling the world playing the game you love in front of huge crowds? Personally I admire him for even staying upright – if I’d been in his position at 20 I’d have spent half of every day unconscious and the other half rolling naked in a swimming pool full of money.
It’s also important to keep in perspective what Kyrgios has actually done. He hasn’t killed anyone, as far as we know. He hasn’t even punched anyone. Yes, he’s abused some umpires, but then maybe he got that idea from attending literally any sporting event on any weekend in any location in Australia at any time in recorded history.
And to be fair, when he asked the chair umpire “Does it feel good to be in the chair up there?” the umpire didn’t actually answer him, so who’s being rude now?
In fact, most Australians loathe sporting officials so much that the opportunity to abuse umpires is probably one of the main motivating factors in driving youngsters to take up sport in the first place. If we stamp out umpire abuse, playing numbers will likely plummet.
So let’s not get in too much of a panic about Kyrgios. He’s only carrying on a proud tradition that is at the heart of tennis both here and abroad.
On the other hand, I suppose it would be nice to have a likeable local tennis star. But it’d be nice to have a lot of things, wouldn’t it? It’d be nice to have John Eales still captaining the Wallabies. It’d be nice to have the Channel Nine commentary team heavily sedated at the start of every summer. It’d be nice to have golden point extra-time criminalised.
But we do not always get what we want. Sometimes hard choices must be made. Do we want a great tennis player, or a nice one? Do we want Kyrgios to win titles or make friends? Do we want to see him swearing at umpires or joining the cast of Dancing With The Stars?
Because it just might be that we can’t have both. But that’s sport for you, always full of trade-offs. Can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. Can’t win a grand slam without making a few explicitly biological suggestions to a linesman.
It’s really just the same situation New South Welshpeople face every year when they wish for their team to win State of Origin while knowing that this means Paul Gallen being happy. We just have to suck it up.
Of course there’s also the fact that what we think about Nick Kyrgios really doesn’t matter at all and if we don’t like watching him we can always switch over to Midsomer Murders to soothe our jangled nerves.
And while we’re doing so we could all ruminate on the strangeness of the modern world, the odd issues that stoke the fires of our indignation, and the nature of a species that decries what it is most entertained by.
Roger
Guest
Dumbest thing I've ever heard excuses for bad behavior thee Ausie way
knowall
Guest
There are two Australians that many Aussies hope will lose when competing: Kyrgios and Tony Mundine.. they are both big mouthed. and in additiion Kyrgios is foulmouthed . Kyrgios is a disgrace and should be banned by the Australian LTA from representing Australia. I dont care how good he is - to be booed by tennis fans when he came on court shows just what he deserves and what the world's tennis spectators think of him.
Kate
Guest
The problem is Australia is backward, we are the last to accept refuguees, the last to allow gay marriage, got rid a a woman PM, and will obviously be last to get used to the new generation, their lingo, their honesty , and their flare for calling a spade a spade. This is the social media generation, forget airs and graces, newspapers, this is real, nothing to hide, solve problems on the spot, speak out and good on you, screw medieval round table meetings. ! Accept your neighbor and race any color, eat turkish , eat asian, chopsticks not burnt mashed potatoes, beware the youth are aware. get use to the color the madness it is wonderful ! Save your white shirts, your top button and collar, shove your boating shoes and throw on your vintage thongs this next generation wont put up with bullshit from corporations selling you useless products. Get honest Get real and for god sake celebrate we have two boys in the top 50 Go on I dare you. to enjoy them ! The sooner the boring , judgmental , narrow minded people wake up the more hope the next generation will have of making this a better world full stop/
Kev
Guest
My my how sanctimonious.
Ben Pobjie
Guest
I didn't put it in the headline.
steve
Guest
He is not as good as he thinks he is tennis australia need to start handing out punishment for his actions. Hey nick ya not impressing anyone!
tsuru
Guest
Well this argument about his behaviour in the 2nd set is all very nice and fills space, but I would have thought that fans should have been much more concerned with the way Kyrgios caved at the end of the match - serving for the 4th set in the tie-breaker he serves a double fault, makes 2 simple unforced errors and the tops it off with another double. And this from a guy who has previously saved himself frequently with great serves under pressure. Should we be more concerned with his performance than with his behaviour?
In brief
Guest
What a load of rubbish. The guy is a jerk, plain and simple.
MichaelJ
Guest
MacEnroe, Connors, Newcombe, Agassi, Sampras, Cash, Becker, to name a few, were all pencil squeezers. Why expect any differently re Kyrgios
StMike
Guest
Yup, you nailed that for me Carlos. + 1
Kev
Guest
I find it funny when people say that Kokkinakis is going to further in his career simply because he is "nicer" than Kyrgios as if that has any bearing on it. Some of the greatest athletes have also been the most obnoxious and arrogant tools you will ever meet.
Undies
Guest
Its official. The kids a stropper.
Sporting Tragic
Roar Pro
what a great article. Thanks Ben
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
yes that's me 3.
megan
Guest
Swampy is correct in saying individual sportspeople need an ego AKA self belief which shows in the way they play, and what - as I said earlier- Sam Stosur seems to lack at times. Her sad loss at Wimbledon was awful to watch. I thought even I could have returned some of the shots better than she did in the last set! Tennis players like NK beat themselves up when they do badly on a point, and in tennis every point counts. What is common in all sports however is the humility we expect when winners do their compulsory post match interviews. They're incredibly high but are expected to be polite, self-deprecating, yes well I might have played well, but I just got lucky etc. It's bullshit- why do we expect or make them do it, and bag them if they are honest and express their joy and self belief?
Carlos the Jackal
Guest
Refreshing? Breath of fresh air? Yes, just what tennis needs, 20 year olds berating ball boys and calling umpires "scum". Maybe you should stick to watching the boorish cricketers if that's the behavior you enjoy. Nothing boring watching a Wawrinka backhand.
Swampy
Guest
Yup that nailed it for me RBB. Couldn't agree more.
Merry Gerry
Guest
Talk about high horses! Are you also a fan of Bernard Tomic?
RBBAnonymous
Guest
The best part about Nick Kyrgios is that he frankly doesn't give a sh!t why you or I think. Too many sport stars are programmed to say the right things to the media, are too politically correct. The fact that Nick Kyrgios isn't, is bloody refreshing. I like that he is going down his own path, if you like it great, if you don't, again he doesn't care. Maybe its because he is still young, who knows, maybe its Nicks personality. Whatever it is, there doesn't seem to be this fake persona that you sometimes get with sport stars. I do know that he has immense talent, whether or not it is enough to get him to the top of mens tennis and win him a major is another story altogether. However his career turns out it will sure be fun watching him and listen to what blurts out of his mouth, you can guarantee it wont be scripted or said to please the masses.
Albatross
Guest
Yet another prime example.