Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has stood by his previous criticism of some players on the ATP Tour by arguing the general public appreciates his honesty.
The former world No.13 has been one of the most vocal members of the sport to speak out against certain players’ actions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a tweet he accused Novak Djokovic of lacking ‘leadership and humility’ in relation to the controversy-stricken Adria Tour. An event co-founded by the world No.1 which was under fire for a lack of COVID-19 protocols with a group of players and coaches later contracting the virus.
Shortly after the event concluded Kyrgios branded Alexander Zverev ‘selfish’ after the German was spotted at a party during the same time when he reportedly was meant to be in self-quarantine. He has also made jibes at both Dominic Thiem and Borna Coric, as well as engaging in a Twitter war of words with Boris Becker.
“Everything I say is quite factual when I’m talking about things that have happened or on issues [in the world]. I just say it how it is, I just say what I think personally, and there are always going to be people who don’t agree, but I think people appreciate the honesty. I mean, I do when someone speaks up on an issue and they’re honest and it’s what they think,” Kyrgios said during a recent interview with ESPN.
Kyrgios himself is no stranger when it comes to controversy due to his behaviour on the court at times. In September 2019 he was slammed with a 16-week suspended ban for ‘aggravated behaviour’ and fined $25,000 following his fiery match against Daniil Medvedev at the Cincinnati Masters. In other incidents, he once threw a chair onto the court at the Italian Open and lobbed a racket outside of the court at Queen’s in London.
Branded as the bad boy of tennis in recent years, Kyrgios says he has felt a slightly warmer reception from the public in recent months following his charitable actions. At the Australian Open he was one of the main driving forces behind a campaign to raise money for those affected by bushfires in the country.
“Whether the perception was they loved me or hated me, my stadiums are always full, TV ratings up … but this year with the bushfires, people were losing homes and lives … and so I put that tweet out that I’d donate for every ace, and it went out throughout Australia and then globally,” he said.
“I’m not looking for the media attention doing that stuff, I just realised we could help. In Canberra, we had the most toxic air in the world at one stage [due to the bushfires], and we couldn’t really go outside — it wasn’t pleasant.
“I’ve definitely felt the public perception warm to me a little more, but it didn’t drive me to do these things.”
Opting not to resume his season following a five-month break in the Tour schedule due to COVID-19, Kyrgios hasn’t played a competitive match since retiring in the first round of the Mexican Open in February. He is targeting a return to action at the start of next year during the Australian swing with a goal of continuing to help others on his mind.
“Fingers crossed my body stays healthy so I can compete and be out there and play well. And that means I can continue to help and use my platform. The better I play, I can continue to help with my foundation [The NK Foundation], and that’s what fuels me,” he explained.
“Just to be happy, that’s the goal. I’m not a results-based guy, like I wasn’t playing for me [at the Australian Open], I was playing for the bushfires.
“As long as my mind is in the right place, I think everything else will follow.”
Kyrgios, who is a two-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist, is currently ranked 43rd in the world. So far in his career he has won six ATP titles.
