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.
Mushi
Guest
Timing is everything :)
northerner
Guest
Ermm. I really don't know how to break this to you, but both Nick and Bernard are white. Most folks from the northern side of the Med are white. Why do you think they're not? Because they're not as white as you are?
Correct sometimes
Guest
Do you regret writing this after his latest antics
Correct sometimes
Guest
What's it like on the loony left that makes up excuses like this and blames discrimination for everything? He needs a good look in the mirror after yesterday
Correct sometimes
Guest
Thoughts Sophie of nicks latest escapade and don't use the cop out that he is not white?
Correct sometimes
Guest
Still hold these views Aaron ?
Benny
Guest
Winston I completely disagree about him not being good enough. In fact, most of the wider tennis community would disagree. Firstly, 'if he applies himself he can make top 10', well in the race to WTF he is now only 130 points outside the top 10, and a win in today's match would reduce that gap to 85. And this kid is only 21, let's remember that. The average age of the top 10 is 28. So to see that he has already exceeded his potential is beyond ridiculous, especially considering he doesn't even have a coach and only hired a full time trainer a couple of weeks ago and already one an ATP500 in his second tournament after the hiring. If you ask most tennis fans, they will say this kid has number 1 written all over him. Numerous past greats have already said it. He can hit shots that not even Djokovic would have the talent to do. That's not to say he is a better player than Djokovic, but he is a more naturally talented one. In all likelihood, he probably won't be able to perfect his game to the level that Novak has, but his ceiling is non-existent if he applies himself.
Winston
Guest
But it does happen. The number of sexual harrassment cases which get swept under the carpet because the person is a high performer is ridiculously high. And this happens at all workplaces. I'm not trying to say this is acceptable, but it just happens. I would be very surprised if he does make top 10 though. His attitude sucks and he's expressed himself publicly that he doesn't even like playing tennis. Mind you, to be clear, I'm saying if he applies himself he can make top 10, but I am also of the view that even if he cleans up his attitude he still will never make the top 5. He's just not good enough.
Nate
Guest
Agreed Swampy, and I'm as white as they come. ;)
c
Guest
hear hear sophie
Swampy
Guest
Whilst I don't care for his antics, Kyrgios can play. And he's exciting to watch - hence I like him. At what age did Federer win his first grand slam?
josh
Roar Rookie
I hate Kyrgios, his haircut is too short, his names ends in an s, he doesn't play tennis properly, he doesn't try his hardest playing for Australia (despite the fact I've never tried hard enough to get to represent Australia. He represents the worst of Gen Y, with their mobile phones, self-photographs, their rap music and tennis racquets not strung tight enough. Also he's made more money than me, playing a sport I'm no good at, so he sucks for that.
chadly
Guest
I agree with SOPHIEs final paragraph - yes there is selective treatment - the partly educated and there are ,many of them , hate it when NICK AND BERNARD are winners - in their warped minds that success belongs to the white Australians , not some interlopers with strange surnames
Sophie
Guest
Thank you, Andrew, for a balanced article and not jumping on the populist bandwagon here. I also think Australia has a huge double standard about athletes' behaviour. So many footballers are rude, arrogant, entitled people who regularly get in the press for public drunkenness, drug shenanigans and various sexual misdemeanours, but have they been demonised like Nick Kyrgios or Bernard Tomic? I don't think so. Shane Warne is another example of someone who is rarely held to account publicly, people like to gloss over his obnoxious behaviour and hold him up as some kind of role model - we have infinitely better people in this country as role models. The behaviours I have just referred to go well beyond what I have observed with Kyrgios or Tomic. And as far as using the f-word and similar language is concerned (and I personally find that distasteful wherever it pops up, as it frequently does in everyday Aussie life), the thing is, Murray does that quite a lot, and generally loses his nelly a fair bit, but doesn't get that kind of blowback for it. Lleyton Hewitt said some really disrespectful things on court, including in his very last professional singles match, but did anyone get up in arms about it in the media? Serena Williams has said some awful things to tennis court officials as well. Could we please drop the double standards here: Treat everyone who does this kind of thing equally, instead of selectively getting outraged about a few. Our family have wondered whether the selective treatment of Kyrgios and Tomic in Australia mightn't have something to do with the fact that Kyrgios is not a "white Australian" and Tomic was born overseas. There seems to be far more leeway for Anglo-Celtic athletes in this country. And didn't some famous, role model, white Anglo-Celtic ex-Olympic swimmer recently tell one or both of them to "Go back where they came from?" Ho hum. I wonder what the native Australians think about that kind of comment coming out of Anglo-Celtic ancestry mouths...
peeeko
Guest
the term haters is such a cop out. Nick has on many occasions acted up and people are well within their rights to call him out on that. he is much more than "bit of a mug" even Mcenroe will tell you that not liking a player with very good reason does not make someone a hater
Andrew Smyth-Kirk
Roar Guru
Winston, I agree with you in many respects. I suppose my comment regarding his potential is based around what people who watch expect a sportsperson to be to qualify as a success. Like anyone in any job as you mention, you do have to uphold certain standards, and to be fair in his chosen career, he doesn't get fired for poor performance or bad attitude. I think modern tennis has been heavily influenced by what could be termed the Federer effect. Obviously, (in my opinion the greatest player of the modern era), Federer has enjoyed supreme success all with relative modesty and calmness. I have noted before the last time i saw him smash a racquet was in 2009 in Miami. The crowd on that occasion could not believe it. Lately, we see more and more players such as Djokovic and Murray expressing themselves negatively on court. Djokovic has an extreme temper that he has tamed since hi early days, but still holds him back for even further heights. Murray is nothing but negative. However, we except this because they win. So it is interesting that such behaviour is acceptable to a degree because these players are proven winners. The same with Johnny Mac. It seems unfair that if we were to apply this logic to our workplaces, that if your most successful employee occasionally loses it big time, has a go at someone at work etc that that would be ok because they are good or successful at their job. Ive experienced people losing it at work as Im sure many have, much in the same way as Djokovic or Kyrgios does in their 'Job' and it just passes by. Obviously thats a tenuous argument as im sure you agree. And just to clarify, I would argue that he does perform regularly. My point is we dont seem to care for his actual play, rather we care when he causes an issue. Being a top 20 player is for many players, a career goal and a highlight that many will never enjoy, winning a tour event, just one, is an achievement. Most do not get there. I enjoy a hit of tennis regularly, and i can recall a time i hit up with an english bloke who was ranked around the 500 mark. He was an amazing player compared to me but he had given up as a young bloke because it is just too hard to breakthrough. Have no doubt that of all the players we watch on TV, they are indeed the cream of the crop, the best players of the moment. I wouldn't be surprised if Kyrgios finishes in the top 10 this year, and even if he doesn't win another tournament, his daily job is to acquire ranking points and at the moment he is consistently doing that, performing better each time, over the year before.
Winston
Guest
Andrew, I don't like Nick Kyrgios, and I feel like in your writing there are some rather generic statements made about him which are just not true. Not that I represent all the haters' opinion, but here's one to put out there for the record. You said, "Some of the anger directed at Kyrgios comes from peoples of fear of not seeing him fulfill his own potential." Perhaps, but not me. I think he has already reached, and perhaps exceeded, his potential. His backhand is not very strong, he is not fast enough, so even if I take out the emotional side completely, he does not have the physical attributes or skills required to be in the top echelon. Then you add the mental side, obviously we've seen time and again him cracking under pressure. I pay no regard to his age. If he is out there competing on the biggest stage, then he is to be judged against everyone else on the same stage. It's a bit like when you have a short player playing against a very tall player, if the tall guy happens to blast his way through the match, for sure it's fair to comment afterwards to say, "the big guy won," but nobody is going to say "he should pick on blokes his own size". That's just not how it works. So if Kyrgios is out there competing, and we are watching him as the audience, then if he wants people's support, he will have to perform. So far he has not. He just had a fantastic win, so yes it should win some support back, but at the moment he's on negative 5000 territory, so he has a long way to go. You also said, "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?" Well, unless you don't have a proper job, then I can tell you, in my job I am held to my required standards every single day. Everyone in their jobs should be. And underperformance will be dealt with by way of various punishment, and it's all fair. So don't start telling me now that we are harsh on Kyrgios. No doubt, he has a much larger audience, but that doesn't give him any right to not do his job to the dedication that I do to mine. How dare you acuse me - and the rest of the population who is not professional sportspeople - of not performing in our our professional lives. And just like in my job, or any of the people I see in my job, if you perform that does tend to override nearly all over failings. So in a way, I really don't give a damn about his behaviour, how many racquets he breaks, what he says to Wawrinka next time they play, how many sportscars they crash (I'm referring to Tomic of course), I really don't care about any of that if they perform. Kyrgios can have the last laugh if he keeps winning.
woody
Guest
I think i watched a young man who is starting to overcome his demons on court and for the first time from start to finish he genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself. Bravo to you young man as your talent is simply breathtaking. Cant wait to see more
Aaron
Guest
Screw the haters. So he's a bit of mug sometimes. But he can also be extremely humble and respectful as evidenced by helping out a crowd member earlier in this tournament. Keep on winning Nick.
Correct sometimes
Guest
Nothing has changed