Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon, red cap, red shoes. Credit: Getty Images
And then came Kyrgios and Wimbledon. The problem with tennis is that it sits in your hands. In 1990, John McEnroe was left out of the Australian Open for attacking officers. In the intervening 30 years, no one else has been evicted in this way. Like McEnroe, Kyrgios thrives on the tumult he creates. It is a mental disintegration. It is strategic. And everything is sent to the doorman.
Kyrgios doesn’t usually stop us long enough for this to matter. In fact, aside from his exquisite ball shots, most of his schtick on and off the court is silly. Some are childish, like spitting. Some are blatantly hypocritical, like demanding Stefanos Tsitsipas ’failure to hit a ball in the crowd, not to mention he notoriously did the same during a doubles match in Melbourne this year.
Like McEnroe, Kyrgios thrives on the tumult he creates. It is a mental disintegration. It is strategic. And everything is sent to the doorman.
Times change. Tennis can be tight. The thing about red shoes is a bit, though it exposes Kyrgios ’rebellious deception – it’s actually the tool and toy of a large corporation. The attention Kyrgios draws on racism is important, but it can be drowned out by the slag.
Ajla Tomljanovic celebrates. Credit: Getty Images
The whole package has the name of entertainment, so everyone has their own. Eternal adolescence obviously plays well in 2022. The enigma is that when Kyrgios is fully focused, his racquet work would be a spectacle in itself.
But tennis is a line sport, and Kyrgios crosses it repeatedly, blatantly and unforgivably. It is the way he publicly humiliates referees and line players, who have no recourse against him and get no relief or fortification from tournament officials, although it may not be long before one jumps and breaks his racket. of Kyrgios above the head. It has spare parts.
It’s not about what happens and not about entertainment. It’s not about sport. It is about basic human dignity. Think of it this way: if a visiting player were to behave like this at the Australian Open, would we accept it? Daniil Medvedev can give you the answer.
It is difficult to prove or disprove the reasons for Kyrgios’ displeasure. Hewitt in his time was criticized with the same vehemence, if not more. Overall, Kyrgios receives a warm welcome from crowds everywhere. It’s good for gaming. Just ask him.
There is another Australian in the fourth round at Wimbledon who could play an equally powerful card, and no one could blame Ajla Tomljanovic if he did.
The woman with the best ranking in Australia, is making the tournament of her life. In addition, it has a good background story and an engaging and idiosyncratic way of telling it, and yet in the tournament narrative so far, it is an asterisk. Anyone of the genre?
So, Kyrgios for Wimbledon? If you want. But go Ajla, go.
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