A lot of people watching the tennis the other night must have cringed when Nick Kyrgios had his spectacular meltdown. The explicit bad language was bad enough but the racquet smashing sent an ugly message to younger players and Kyrgious is fast gaining a reputation as one of the "bad boys "of tennis.
The fact that he on occasions represents Australia is a concern to many people. That is not the image we want to project to the world. There is no doubt that Kyrgios has talent, but he is entirely unpredictable. One moment he is playing normally and suddenly he suffers a mood change and he starts to act like a raving lunatic.
John McEnroe is a man who terrorised umpires when he was at his height a long time ago and he commented that Kyrgio's game gave "tennis a black eye " and other people have suggested that he badly needs the services of a trainer, but that has more to do with his technical performance. What we are seeing on court is more a matter of bratty petulance.
Some may even wonder if these blowups are not a deliberate attempt to attract the sort of publicity that puts bums on seat at tennis matches. The histrionics that John McEnroe employed made him world famous and when he retired from the game he was a very rich man. The difference was that McEnroe was a champion player and the bulk of his temperament was directed at umpires and the decisions they handed down.
Attention grabbing tactics are an integral part of individual play in most sports because they help to deliver fame and fortune to individuals. A few years back many women tennis players became known as "screamers ". When they hit the ball they emitted a shrill emission of lung air which many spectators found to be offensive. Thankfully, that seems to have decreased in recent times.
Tennis has long held the reputation of being one of the more traditional sports, known for its good manners and fair play. By tradition, the annual pinnacle world tennis event is the competition in England at Wimbledon. This is closely followed by world television viewing.
Along with the traditional strawberries and cream there was an incident back in the 1960's when a competitor implemented a way of drawing attention and getting her name and picture in the world media. This was a time when short tennis skirts became the fashion and this shapely young lady complimented her attire by wearing lace knickers.
The flaring of such skirts during play was not lost on the camera crews covering the event and this received massive publicity. The doyens of the game were scandalized and it was rumoured that Royalty stayed away until this player had been eliminated, Sellout crowds packed the stands during this woman's scheduled appearances.
If Nick Kyrgios learns that it takes self discipline to reach the top in any sport he will go a long way towards a successful career, and with that comes the good life. A bevy of top players are welcomed around the world and they names are as well known as movie stars. If Kyrgios wants to be part of that illustrious company he needs to mend his manners. He is fast reaching the stage where Australia wants to forget him.
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