Don't like Nick Kyrgios? Too bad, get over it. Stop being so old.
He's quite possibly the most talented player on the men's tennis circuit. The Aussie 23-year-old is also a publicity machine which tennis needs for its future.
Even if you don’t like him, you still watch him which is exactly what a sport wants, a man for those who like and those who dislike, but those will always watch and form opinions. All sports need competitors who frustrate, infuriate and fascinate, and he's all that.
Throughout the 2018 US Open Kyrgios once again looked both bored and inspired at the same time. His courts were full, overflowing in fact, with fans waiting for an explosion of anger or flair.
His four-set win over Radu Albot from Moldova was what you expect. A tight first, a lax second set dropped and then a relative clean up. It was in the second round that the world took notice.
Playing against Pierre-Hugeus Herbert of France, somehow Kyrgios concocted a win despite appearing to be shamelessly tanking in the second set. But that's the thing about Kyrgios. Even if he is tanking he's still like watching a car crash. There's something totally mesmerising about it.
He was again involved in controversy when the very respected and capable umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, stepped down from his chair and inquired if Kyrgios was okay - basically wanting to know if at 0-3 down, he was trying.
"Are you okay, Nick?" he asked. It was all a little bit off protocol for an umpire to do this. Luckily the umpire wasn't sanctioned, and neither was the Aussie.
Kyrgios was only guilty of stupidity. He went on to win the match and later and stick up for the umpire, proclaiming that he didn't always know what he was doing which is, of course, a very modern thing to admit to.
Against Federer in the third round, the only thing on show was the older player's skill. But Kyrgios still had some glimpses of talent coming through, and at times brought out the best in the Swiss great.
Predictably there were no behaviour problems, as there never are against the elder statesmen of the game. What a shame for those who want to write the headlines calling him a brat and immature. Such name-calling is a shame considering his thoughtfulness off the court, and his generosity with his time and money to charity too.
He even compliments his opponents in media conferences, as this tweet will attest.
Seriously Nick, you’re okay. Keep it up.
Newshub.
