Do not underestimate Kyrgios’s entertainment value. He may not be up there with the big three, but he can fill the stadiums as they do. Every sport needs a rebel, and though I do not condone his behaviour all the time, there is something disturbingly refreshing about him. I hope he comes good, apart from his head he possesses the total game, and I have a feeling it will all come together soon.
1
He repeatedly has helped his opponents by signaling if his ball was out, to his DISADVANTAGE.
He never cheats. He loves kids, and they love him. He is generous, talented, and went through a lot of emotional turmoil with his brother was diagnosed with cancer.
I root for him. His serve is astonishing, he has superb talent.
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Have been looking for an opportunity to comment on Krygios. I read somewhere recently that he has ADHD. I believe that is the only reason why he hasn't been banned from the tour, although I don't know whether a lack of character and respect for others is associated with ADHD. I have come to love pro tennis, but I don't watch his matches. He is beyond obnoxious and I could care less about his talent.
2
It feels at times as if we are watching a guy have a very public nervous breakdown. Much of his misbehavior is childish attention getting.
If there were another strong Aussie male player, I suspect Kyrgios would be dealt with much more harshly.
Right now he's the "marquee" player from down under, and gets away with disrespectful conduct on the court, tournament after tournament.
1
Nick's rude, disrespectful, sometimes violent episodes - not to mention his inability to control himself - are seriously harmful to tennis as a sport, and to the youngsters who look to the current ATP players as mentors and role models. My dad, who was a teaching pro many years ago, defaulted players in junior tournaments for throwing their rackets or swearing. While I suspect that was not really within his authority, those kids learned a lesson about sportsmanship and self-control that I trust lasted them a lifetime. We have become a nation obsessed with unsavory spectacles we see as entertaining (a car wreck, a certain politician's mean Tweets) and it saddens me to see this invade my favorite sport. Please, NYT, no more articles about how talented and hilarious Kyrgios is with "delighted fans." It's actually not funny.
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It’s a sport, not model UN.
When he acts up he is fined and even ridiculed. Those are the rules of the sport and he is not being spared from any repercussions.
He does have many fans, there is nothing wrong with reporting facts. He is very generous with children, both with time and money, far more so than most other tennis players.
1
Kyrgios lacks sufficient emotional comportment to be allowed to play tennis.
Permitting him to do so is a disservice to everyone who enjoys the sport of tennis and especially to all those that suffer directly from his aberrant behavior.
The ITF should ban him for at least a year. And if he still is unable to contain himself emotionally, banned immediately again for another year, until he either matures or becomes too old to play effectively.
1
A squandered talent for sure. It's so sad. He is so incredibly gifted and all that is wasted. Think how many would love to have his athleticism and could take and make something truly special from it. Shame on him.
I feel like Nick is a train wreck waiting to happen, and we are watching. Please, someone with authority in the tennis world, reach out to him. He needs a coach and a therapist at a minimum.
Hmm, let's see, what is this guy's background - oh, ok, here we go:
"His mother was born in Malaysia as a member of the Selangor royal family..."
Yeah, geez, who'd of thunk it, a spoiled brat behaving like a spoiled brat, engaging in an aristocratic leisurely activity, and actually being paid millions of dollars as well, for "playing a game," and while in The United States of America, which was actually - originally, founded upon this concept:
“The American Revolution was a colonial revolt against Great Britain. The American Patriots in the Thirteen Colonies won independence from Great Britain, becoming the United States of America. The American Enlightenment was a critical precursor of the American Revolution. A central motivating force behind the overthrow of monarchy and aristocracy was Americans fearing that corruption was crossing the Atlantic – as Britain was increasingly seen as hopelessly corrupt. The colonists associated this corruption with luxury, and especially aristocracy, which they condemned."
And, hmm, what would Thomas Jefferson say about this, here we go:
"Games played with a ball, and others of that nature, stamp no character on the mind..."
Geez, who'd of thunk it?
Frankly in a world where we see bullying and boorish behavior, including POTUS, I can do without the likes of Mr Kyrgios. By the way in tennis, you need not look far for a better role model- Federer.
3
I agree with those who think the tennis powers need to take control. Kyrgios is clearly extremely talented, but his behavior is a stain on the game and sets a terrible example for young players and fans. It's not entertaining to abuse or spit at an official or make grossly inappropriate comments to opponents as I personally witnessed him do to Wawrinka a couple of years ago at the Rogers Cup in Montreal. Fines are fine, but he should have been suspended and out of the US Open. To label his behavior as "playful" is absurd. It's abusive and has no place on the court.
4
Another tennis star who doesn't really like tennis. Agassi had elements of this - he also would have preferred to be playing a team sport, in his case soccer. Kyrgios chose tennis because it offered the best chance of a successful livelihood.
Hopefully, like Agassi, Nick Kyrgios will achieve focus when he sees his tennis career slipping away from him.
1
How ironic that McEnroe, the temper tantrum little prince, should reference Freud.
1
He's an unfortunate pairing of an apparently unlimited supply of natural talent and childish petulance.
Rafael Nadal was spot on when he said Kyrgios has no respect for his opponents, tennis fans and himself. Kyrgios has so much talent but he squanders it by acting like a spoiled brat.
1
Why is NYTimes giving this guy publicity? Please profile talented players -- not the bad behavior of someone who hasn't even cracked the Top 10. There are a lot of up and coming players -- who play with grace and respect the game -- who could use a feature article in the Times.
1
Other than his outrageous behavior and antics, which he seems to be little penalzed for, exactly what has Kyrgios done in his career to warrant the non-stap attention and publicity by the media.
I think it's pretty rich to read McEnroe's criticism of Kyrgios considering what a jerk McEnroe was when he played.
Kyrgios sounds like a jerk.
1
I think he is a great player. I wish he would get it together and prove everyone wrong.
1
I've watched a couple of matches with this guy. I don't want to watch him any more, because I want to watch someone who is trying to win, not some child more interested in doing a between-the-legs shot than hitting a simple winner.
Not some guy more interested in strange interactions with the crowd than hitting an ace or a winner.
People want to watch a Federer, Nadal, Novak - because they're interested in someone who is focused on trying to win the damn game
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@DaveB
Not everyone wants to watch human machines who don’t even notice an audience because they’re so immersed in their own head. Kyrgios has tons of fans. He is infectious.
He cares too much.
If Serena Williams did this she would've been fined MORE....why put up this this emotionally challenged idiot? Remember when sportsmanship meant something?
And I'm not even going to consider the opinion of John McEnroe, another idiot who should keep his trap shut.
8
So, intermittent talent outweighs: courtesy, comportment, emotional maturity, self-control, respect for other players, respect for the umpires, respect for the game, and most importantly sportsmanship itself. This is the message the governing body of tennis sends every day they allow this pompous spoiled brat on the court. Every day Kyrgios is allowed to play, is another day that the sport of tennis allows itself to sink lower and lower.
His behavior is neither "cute", nor "playful", nor "funny". It's a slap in the face to everyone who plays the sport as it was intended - with good sportsmanship. Fines are not enough. For the sake of the sport, Kyrgios must go!
14
Kyrgios should be banned from professional tennis for life - period. His athletic skills come nowhere close to mitigating or absolving him of his utter lack of sportsmanship. If he is allowed to continue, then those who regulate professional tennis will be saying, "As long as you have talent - that's all that really matters." Fines mean nothing at this point.
He behavior on court is neither "funny" nor "amusing". It is a disgrace. They should have banned him from tennis for at least a year after what he said to Stan Wawrinka - A man who, by the way, is one of the nicest, most humble, and most well behaved and respected players the sport has ever seen. In other words, Stan is everything Nick is not.
I say, get rid of this ill-mannered, petulant boor Kyrgios before he does even more damage to the sport. And I'm speaking as someone who has been playing and watching tennis for decades.
14
@Chicago Guy ..
There's no denying that Nick has a certain character that a lot of people - my Dad included - don't really like being shown in Tennis. He's loud, arrogant, and maybe "petulant."
If I was playing against an opponent like Nick, I'd have a hard time concentrating too.
Maybe he needs to step away from the game to collect himself, but if he's the best, then he should be given the opportunity to play.
You can't deny his spot in the ladder, because he clearly is one of the best. Dare we bring up (the best) players of the past that have had their run-ins with the officials. Arguing is part of the game, he may just be the best. So, take a seat, and watch! Enjoy, or don't watch. It's that simple.
3
@Chicago Guy
I agree. The "bad boy of tennis" act is simply immature and a disgrace to the sport. It just goes to show you that you need more than talent to succeed at a high level—the right temperament, tremendous focus, and resolute commitment separate the elite from the very talented.
@Nicholas
At their worst, Nastase and McEnroe still had respect for the sport and the fans. Kyrgios has neither. The central question is, what do the tennis regulators feel tennis is about, and what should it express and represent? If it's simply about athletic skill, then let Kyrgios play. However, if it's about something more, which it always has been for me, then he needs to be put on the sidelines. Maybe not forever, but until he learns a thing or two about the greater power of sport. They need to say, "OK, Nick. Next time, you're out for a year" - period.
He's hurting the core integrity of the sport with his petulant antics. Particularly, when he refuses to give not only his best, but any effort at all when he's not doing well.
His skills are simply not worth the trade off.
1
Isn’t it interesting how we “root” for another petulant bad boy? Would a woman garner the same support? Me thinks not.
29
Why not? What’s that got to do with it?
I know, I know: capitalism.
But I can't help asking myself, why is any human being paid so much money for playing tennis that they can get a ONE-HUNDRED-AND-THIRTEEN-THOUSAND DOLLAR fine and it's not a huge problem for them, doesn't ruin their life. And this particular player has never even won a Grand Slam, so it's not like he's one of the top, all-time greatest, prize-winningest tennis players. (Not saying he's not really good, just that he's far from being the richest tennis player or athlete in the world.)
WHY are athletes this rich. Again, *I know*, because of capitalism. I'm asking a useless, rhetorical question. Apologies. But in my beautiful imaginary utopia where everything runs the way I want it to nobody makes millions for sports. That doesn't mean there are no sports. Look at the guy from the movie "Free Solo" -- a professional athlete doing what he loves and living comfortably, with about as much money as, in his words, "a moderately successful dentist." Imagine that.
5
@LWib
This guy and others make what they make because WE consume their output. Lebron James, Mike Trout, Aaron Judge - they make zillions because we're paying major bucks thru watching them in person or on TV.
We could collectively disenfranchise them by not watching - but we don't not watch.
Roger Federer has a $300 million dollar contract with a clothing outfit - because we watch him.
You wanna know the reason these people make so much? The answer is the person we see in the mirror.
4
@LWIB Only a tiny sliver of tennis players make enough money to even support themselves, let alone get rich. Unlike team sports, tennis players have to pay for travel, lodging and meals themselves. They pay their own coaches. Most tournaments have low payouts except for the one or two people winning. So for a draw of 64, most players make very little except at the few very big tournaments. Often, wealthy people donate rooms in their house and transportation for players in local pro tournaments. My kids volunteered for 6 straight 11-hour days as ball boys at a pro tournament this summer. It was televised nationally. The winner’s take? $6000. Everyone else in a 64 draw? Very little. This is nowhere near the same as the big US team sports even though the top few do very well.
2
Why publicize this guy? You make his antics newsworthy - more so than anything else happening at the us open. Stop enabling him. Let him play and win/lose, end of story. What a COLAs’s journalistic failure that this is all you can come up with at the us open.
16
Kyrgios is physically talented but lacks the mental and emotional fortitude, maturity and resilience that the top players have. In sports and life, there are missed calls, challenges, luck, unexpected bounces, balls that trickle over the net, foot faults, and umpires that give shorter and longer leashes. Take a long look in the mirror Nick, not everyone is out to get you. The common denominator in all your meltdowns, arguments, and boorish behavior is you. I also think that his behavior is a defense mechanism - he does it on purpose so if he ends up losing the match, he'll have a convenient scapegoat in the umpire.
9