Tennis
Simon Cambers 6y

Nick Kyrgios a role model? You'd better believe it

Tennis

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Nick Kyrgios a role model? You read those words right.

  The Australian Open is notorious for its share of surprises, with players often a bit undercooked at the start of the year. But this one is a doozy.

  For most of his career, Kyrgios has been labeled the bad boy of tennis; his on-court behavior resulted in a three-week ban (reduced from three months) at the end of 2016, and he has been fined multiple times over. 

  But for the past year, things seem to be changing. He cruised through his first-round match without incident, beating Brazil's Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 Monday. The Australian media, which can be as critical as any, have largely swung around in his favor and not just because Kyrgios is the country's best player, but its best hope for its first homegrown men's champion since Mark Edmondson here in 1976.

  On the court and off it, Kyrgios seems to be maturing. It's noticeable in the way he has been speaking, but also in the way he has been helping the younger Australian players such as Alex De Minaur and Alexei Popyrin in their first steps on the ATP tour. 

  He is uber-popular with kids and is in the process of setting up his own facility for underprivileged children in Melbourne. With adulation comes responsibility, something Kyrgios appreciates.

  "I guess [kids] kind of like the flair, and I guess the no-care attitude," Kyrgios told ESPN.com at Melbourne Park. "I would like to be a bit of a better role model with some of my behavior, but I guess that will come in time.

  "You can't really ask a 20-year-old or 19-year-old to be such a good role model when they're kind of learning about the game and about themselves. I know I'm a bit of a role model for the younger generation. I know that I do things that people say are the worst things on planet earth, but at the same time, to be a role model for [children] makes me feel pretty good."

  Even as he endured criticism for his occasional outbursts on the court, as a teenager, Kyrgios benefited from the watchful eye of former world No. 1 Andy Murray, who has helped mentor the Aussie. Perhaps Murray spotted a kindred spirit, if not in the Australian's behavior, then in his honesty and fiery demeanor.

  "[Murray] knows there's a lot more work for me to do, to become a great of the game," Kyrgios said. "But it was awesome of him to help me out this much."

  The 22-year-old Kyrgios has been doing something similar for the likes of De Minaur and Popyrin, both of whom were with Kyrgios on Davis Cup duty late last year. Some have suggested the fact that Kyrgios' girlfriend, Ajla Tomljanovic, is back on the WTA Tour after an injury hiatus has helped his newfound attitude. 

  Whatever it is, Kyrgios has been saying all the right things, as he did after winning the title in Brisbane earlier this month, when he told the fans that he loved playing in front of them. "Even though sometimes you may not see it that way, but I do," he said.

  It was a humble statement from a man much maligned and perhaps misunderstood as he has made his way on the tour. The proof of his maturity will only come in time, and he appreciates he may still have the odd bad moment.

  "I know that in past times they've felt like I haven't given my best efforts or really been interested, but you see when I have a week like that in Brisbane, I wanted to do well, I wanted to win," Kyrgios said. "Hopefully, they can understand that some days I'm going to be down and some days I'm going to be able to fight and play."  

If all goes well over the next fortnight, it's not difficult to see Kyrgios going deep in Melbourne.

  "I feel good and I feel like my preparation's been good," said Kyrgios, who next plays Serbia's Viktor Troicki. "I've been training pretty well. Obviously, I keep my body in good nick and hopefully I can have a good [two weeks] here."  

^ Back to Top ^