The tamed unruly: Nick Kyrgios makes an impression at the Australian Open
Nick Kygios shows his good side in the Australian summer: human, playful and combative. Now Rafael Nadal is waiting in the round of 16.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Jan 26, 2020, 04:13 pm
It was at the Rome Masters tournament last year that Nick Kyrgios was once again in the solo versus tennis world mode . Even before he was disqualified for a scandalous appearance in the match against the Norwegian Caspar Ruud - he had tossed clubs, drinking bottles and chairs and flagged spectators as "idiots" - the chronically behavioral Australian had gone to chat with a journalist and had had in the Podcast poured out his heart. Novak Djokovic? "One who does everything to be loved and will never get to Federer." Rafael Nadal? "Benevolent only if he wins. Really a bad loser. ”Nadal's uncle Toni? "An idiot." And Kyrgios about Kyrgios? “I don't invest enough in my sport. I won't be around for long either. I want to spend more time with my buddies in Australia and play more basketball. ”Rumms, that was sitting.
A few months later, Kyrgios is now at home in Australia. However, he does not play basketball. He is still in the middle of the big Grand Slam fight, he invests even more time in his sport, in tennis, "amazing" for himself. And if you don't know what big scandalous acts he has accumulated over the past few years, a chronicle the slight, moderate and violent misconduct, including repeated blockings, then one could easily get the idea that this Nick Kyrgios is a normal tennis player at the 2020 Open Australian Championships. One who takes care of the purely athletic issues, fore and backhand, and strategies on how to get around the world-class rivals on the other side of the net.
Kyrgios with respect for Nadal
On Monday, at any rate, it will be possible to check how resilient the idea of Kyrgios as at least currently tamed unruly is - when he faces his favorite antagonist - in the feverish round of 16 night-time show on Center Court. That Nadal, whose nervous ticks he just once again in a Melbourne match rather jokingly than impersonator pissed off. Otherwise, scandal noodle Kyrgios showed good behavior, even respect for the Mallorcan matador: “He is one of the greatest ever. Competing against him in front of his own fans is cool, ”says Kyrgios,“ It will be a game between two different personalities. Exciting thing, people. "
You shouldn't put too much emphasis on the fact that Kyrgios' purification is now a matter of tennis eternity. But for now, the Australian, wildly waving between genius and madness, has apparently decided that it would not be so good to act as prince of darkness in the here and now, as a warped, disobedient millionaire lout - and of course this change in these first days has the New Year's with the images that went around the world, with the images of the hell fires, especially on the Australian east coast. In the states of New South Wales, Victoria and in the capital Canberra, home of Kyrgios.
Kyrgios was not the only one who knew that it was difficult for him "to concentrate on his matches now." But at the same time the emergency also sharpened his senses, it was clear that silliness, malice, antics and quirks would be interpreted even more devastatingly , And so it happened that Kyrgios was suddenly the spearhead of a tennis initiative, a literal collection movement that donated money for the victims - Kyrgios as the triggering figure with the announcement: to transfer $ 200 for each ace. Many professionals followed him, many tournaments, including the Australian Open with a fundraiser. It has raised $ 6 million in the meantime.
Nadal: "If Nick plays like this, he is a win for our sport"
However, Kyrgios also deserves his respect in his sport on the court. In the past, he had often given away games when he was tired of it, when a deficit seemed hopeless. He flashed his disinterest more than once demonstratively. But on Saturday he fought the Russian Karen Khachanov through all the ups and downs of a five-set thriller, after all he was the first in the longest and most exhausting Grand Slam match of his career to cross the finish line and known to follow his legs felt, "as if they weigh 40 kilograms." The energy performance, the victory in the final match tie break, also forced Nadal to respect: "If Nick plays like this, he is a win for our sport. That's how he makes tennis bigger. "
The mood of excitement between the unequal opponents will not completely dispel all of this. Because too much has happened in the past, most recently again in Wimbledon 2019, when Kyrgios aimed a ball with full force at the Spaniard's body during his defeat and then refused the commercial apology. "Why should I apologize? The guy won how many Grand Slams and how many millions in the account? I think he can cope with a ball on his body. ”But maybe Nadal's answer back then was also a hint as to how things will end on Monday in Melbourne. In the game against the unpredictable Australian, against whom he leads 4: 3 in a head-to-head comparison: "I know how to avoid." And how to win.