Nick Kyrgios
Seemingly determined to become the John McEnroe of the modern era, our favourite Australian tennis star really turned up the petulance volume this year.
Despite winning his maiden ATP title, Kyrgios continued to 'tank' in matches, most notably at the Shanghai Rolex Masters in October.
It promises to be an important 2017 for the mercurial 21-year-old. Ranked #13 in the world, does Kyrgios love the game enough to keep pushing?
Maria Sharapova
The five-time Grand Slam winner has often polarised opinion, if only for her constant grunting during match-play.
But 2016 was the Russian’s annus horribilis, thanks to a failed drug test having tested positive for Meldonium at the Australian Open.
Suspended for two years, this was reduced to 15 months on appeal. She claimed it was an ‘honest mistake’ and didn’t know it was on the list of banned substances and that she’s had a great impact on millions of lives.
It obviously hasn’t affected her confidence, expect to see her in competition again in April 2017.
Ryan Lochte
Probably the most surreal sports story of 2016, 12-tme Olympic medallist Lochte was one of the golden children of the pool.
With classic American good looks, Lochte went to Rio destined for more success, so when he claimed to be the victim of an armed robbery the media went into overdrive.
Unfortunately it was a complete fabrication. The initial tall tale said Lochte and team-mates Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were forced out of a taxi at gunpoint. In reality, they’d been intoxicated at a gas station and broke a soap dispenser.
He was suspended from swimming for 10 months.
Draymond Green
Unless you’re a hardcore NBA fan, Draymond Green wasn’t exactly a household name.
Known for his versatility at Golden State Warriors, he made big headlines in NZ when he dared to assault our prodigal son, Steven Adams. And it wasn’t a slap or a push, it was a good old kick in the nuts.
A more innocuous knee to the nether-regions in game two gave credence to the argument that the Adams crown jewels were being specifically targeted.
Russia
It’s impossible to ignore the Olympic debacle that was Russia.
A legal minefield from start to finish, the World Anti-Doping Agency reported a state-sponsored doping program covering up numerous positive samples. A total of 389 athletes were scheduled to compete, with only 278 officially making the cut.
Probably the most depressing story of the year, the validity and integrity of the whole Olympic movement suffered a devastating smear – and a shadow will sadly now be cast over any future Russian competitor.
