Just as Nick Kyrgios was entering the good books of fans with his flamboyant style of commentary, the Australian tennis star hyped up himself again on X for no good reason really. Kyrgios got into a debate with a fan regarding whether the current state of tennis is exciting or not. The conversation came after Kyrgios retweeted a tweet on Taylor Fritz’s ‘Have a nice flight home!’ jibe at Arthur Rinderknech on the net while shaking hands at the end of their Wimbledon clash.
Kyrgios retweeted that such drama and rivalry is what tennis needs at the moment as he called Fritz ‘cheeky’ for that comment. This is because Rinderknech, prior to their clash, had called the American a whiner for trying to force crowds to support him.
However, an X user commented on Kyrgios’ retweet by admitting that while that was an entertaining episode, it is not really something tennis ‘needs’ as such. She also added that the sport is in a good place at the moment when it comes to the quality of tennis being played and the entertainment factor in it.
Typical of Kyrgios, he disagreed with that thought and proceeded to claim that tennis was in a better place in the mid to late 2010s when the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Marin Cilic, Juan Martin del Potro were all playing and in their ‘prime’.
Hmm maybe when you had prime Federer, Nadal, Murray, Nole, Nishikori, Cilic, Del potro, Berdych, Monfils, Dimitrov, Tsonga…. Kyrgios.
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 5, 2024
Interestingly, Kyrgios added his own name at the very end of that reply to suggest that he was also in his prime back then. It also means that the Australian rates himself so highly that he put his name next to theirs. Fans rightly interjected by claiming that Kyrgios did not achieve half of what all those players did even back then and has disappointed many with his results in his decade-long career so far.
So the question is, should Kyrgios be that blunt on X? This is a platform where each of his tweets are under scrutiny and an ugly debate could erode the talent and skills he has beyond the tennis court.
Could Kyrgios Be Landing in Hot Waters Again?
Kyrgios was finally wiping his slate clean with the fans, but he keeps getting into unnecessary feuds with them. The moment he placed his name alongside stalwarts like Federer, Nadal, etc, fans started questioning his credibility.
While most of the players named in that tweet have won multiple Grand Slams or Masters 1000 events, Kyrgios is yet to win one. His biggest achievement so far is making it to the finals of the Wimbledon 2022, where he lost to Djokovic despite winning the first set. Here is how fans reacted to the Australian’s claim:
Hopefully we’re still yet to see your prime
— Liam (@MAL7NN) July 5, 2024
Have we even had prime Kyrgios yet?
— Ashlee Vance (@ashleevance) July 5, 2024
You had to add your name. You’ve done nothing!!!!!!
— Anthony Scalise (@esilacSynohtnA) July 5, 2024
He added his name for reactions and got them
Well played. Nick
— Gold Sports VIP Premium Betting Tips (@GoldSportsVIP) July 5, 2024
Kyrgios Monfils pic.twitter.com/RwKjYZFfKp
— Nebot (@Nebot365) July 5, 2024
These kind of episodes on X could also spell further trouble for media houses like BBC and ESPN, which pay Kyrgios handsomely to feature in their commentary boxes as a pundit for their high-profile tournaments. BBC is already under scrutiny for handing a contract to him for Wimbledon 2024 because of his unsavory past, which involved him getting into legal disputes and bringing the game into disrepute as well.
At present, Kyrgios is trying to establish a long-term career as a broadcaster, while handling his business commitments side-by-side. Perhaps, he needs to cut down on the tone to have a better reputation and a wider fan base.
