ATP: That's why Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Bublik are so important
Professional tennis can also be fun. The spectators and the players. This is quite often the case in Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Bublik matches.
by Robin Huiber
last edit: Nov 09, 2022, 07:37 am
While everyone is right now celebrating Holger Rune, we don't want to forget two people who still have to be celebrated for their great entertainment value at the end of a long season: Nick Kyrgios, of course. And Alexander Bublik, not quite so clear. Now the two named have completed the race as numbers 22 (Kyrgios) and 37 (Bublik). But that should not matter to the tennis fan as such. Especially since Kyrgios with the 1,200 points from Wimbledon would have come damn close to qualifying for the ATP Finals in singles (he would not have overtaken Taylor Fritz, the last person who qualified, because he was also in the quarter-finals in Wimbledon).
It is also true: In the end there are two single titles in the ranking, one each for Nick Kyrgios (once again in Washington) and one for Alexander Bublik (in Montpellier in the final against Alexander Zverev). Kyrgios should play again in doubles in Turin, let's see if he really comes to Italy together with Thanasi Kokkinakis. And then maybe add a few Davis Cup days in Malaga.
But why do Kyrgios and Bublik exert such a great fascination on the younger generation of fans, to which the author counts? Here are a few assumptions...
- Communication: They are all represented on social media. But this is also about dealing with the fans during a match. Of course: The fact that Nick Kyrgios had a spectator whisper in his ear when he triumphed in Washington in 2019 where he should serve was not so well received by his opponent in the final, Daniil Medvedev. But it also created a bond between Kyrgios and the people in the stands that you don't usually get to feel. Ok, when Benoit Paire toasts at The Boodles with a fan and a glass of champagne, that also has charm, of course. If only as part of a show fight.
- The style of play: You don't necessarily have to serve from below (and sometimes between the legs) several times per match. But you can. At Kyrgios, the jokes have become a little rarer over the course of the season, Nick wanted to position himself as a serious competitor. Let's see if that continues at the Australian Open. But basically, neither Bublik nor Kyrgios are at a loss for variations, yes, they celebrate the undercut ball in a way that should even earn respect from grandmasters like Tatjana Maria and Monica Niculescu.
- Self-image: It is a fine line not to take yourself too seriously. Or to give the fans the feeling that the competition, and with it the mostly expensive tickets, are being ridiculed. Nick Kyrgios has mostly been on the "right" side this season, but with Alexander Bublik you couldn't always be so sure: fending off breakballs with a reversed racquet and thus the grip shows a certain worthlessness. But it also brings variety compared to the model students on the ATP tour.
Kyrgios and Bublik have only played against each other once on the ATP tour: in 2019 in Miami, the Australian won 7: 5 and 6: 3 in the first round.