Nick Kyrgios divides opinion among tennis fans and pundits. The 24-year-old is not afraid to speak his mind and often makes controversial remarks. He recently received a suspended 16-weeks’ ban for comments he had made about the ATP. The player had called the tennis body corrupt after he received a huge fine for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Australian continues to be a huge draw for fans. He recently played at the Laver Cup for Team World. After the tournament, he played at the Zhuhai championships, before pulling out of the Asian swing of the ATP tour due to injury.
Everything tennis needs
Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou has given his opinion about Kyrgios’s place in the game. The 49-year-old thinks that the Australian is different from other players because he brings emotion to the game which has endeared him to the fans. The coach said, “I think he is unbelievable for tennis. He is everything tennis needs.” Mouratoglou has praised Nick his expressing himself despite the risk of fines and suspensions. He said that tennis had become boring since players were too safe with their comments and showed little emotion on and off the court.
Players should express their personalities
Mouratoglou hopes players can express themselves without consequences from the tennis governing bodies. “I am really worried, and I hope it will change in the next few years because it was much better in the 80s when players were able to express their personalities.” Comparing tennis to other sports the tennis coach called for more emotion to help fans care about the sport. “People love to watch movies because there is drama, personalities, emotion. They watch sport for emotions. If we refuse to give them emotions, they’re going to go to other sports where there is passion.”
Kyrgios received a record fine of $113,000 for his behavior at the Cincinnati Open in August. During a match against Karen Khachanov, the Australian insulted umpire Fergus Murphy and broke two tennis rackets on the court. The 24-year-old lost the match. He reacted to the huge fine by saying the ATP was corrupt in an interview at the US Open. His comments prompted an investigation that resulted in an additional $25,000 fine and a suspended 16-match ban. The ban will come into effect if the player violates the ATP code of conduct in the next six months.
Nick Kyrgios’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.28, the Australian played his last match on the 25th of September when he lost to Andreas Seppi 7-65 6-1 in the 1st round in Zhuhai.
This year Kyrgios has a 21-14 win-loss record. Kyrgios conquered 2 titles in 2019 in Acapulco and in Washington.
Nick Kyrgios |
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