Nick Kyrgios lost early in the Australian Open singles tournament, but that didn’t stop him from getting noticed, as he so often does at...
Nick Kyrgios lost early in the Australian Open singles tournament, but that didn’t stop him from getting noticed, as he so often does at his native Grand Slam.
Kyrgios and close friend and fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis were given a wild card for the doubles draw. They triumphed over the competition using a mixture of skill and showmanship that turned their matches into boisterous celebrations, the furthest thing from the often quiet affairs typically associated with tennis.
They clearly got their message across to fans – drink and make some noise. To purists, it’s sacrilege: an inappropriate and disrespectful display of toxic masculinity and style over substance, like all the half-volleys between the legs and underhand serves employed by Kyrgios. The moves are used both as weapons and to entertain themselves and the crowd.
Entertainment shouldn’t be a problem on Saturday, given the all-Australian men’s doubles final which will pit Kyrgios and Kokkinakis against their compatriots Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell.
For Kyrgios, the better the show, the better the tennis. And the louder and more uncomfortable fans can make it for opponents, the better his chances of winning.
“Playing for them is more important than success in tennis,” Kyrgios, who wears a basketball jersey during his matches, said of his fans after he and Kokkinakis won their quarter-final match. During this match, the Australian Open TV network continued to cut Rafael Nadal’s five-set thriller over Denis Shapovalov to cover the Kyrgios-Kokkinakis broadcast.
“The level of entertainment is different,” Kyrgios said. With Kyrgios leading the men’s game in Australian tennis, that’s still the case.
Kyrgios, right, and Kokkinakis in their quarter-final victory at the 2022 Australian Open last week.
Kyrgios during his first round victory at the Open. Kyrgios said the John Cain Arena is his favorite ground to play, and the tournament schedules many of its matches there.
Young fans surrounded Kyrgios as he signed autographs after practice at the National Tennis Center in Australia last week. As security tried to move him quickly through the crowd, he stopped to joke and take selfies with as many people as possible, and he signed off until told to move on. .
Kyrgios welcomed his girlfriend, Costen Hatzi, after his semi-final victory with Kokkinakis in men’s doubles.
Following his semi-final win, Kyrgios met his support team and family for dinner at Nobu restaurant in Melbourne.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis defeated top-ranked partners Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić of Croatia in an upset straight on day five of the Australian Open.
The fans were overjoyed during Kyrgios’ first round match. His opponent, British qualifier Liam Broady, described the atmosphere as ‘incredible’ in a post-match interview but also said he found the experience ‘absolutely awful’ after being taunted throughout of the match as Kyrgios won, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
Kyrgios, who is known for attracting a younger, more vocal crowd to his matches, expressed his frustration to the crowd after someone shouted before his serve. He then lost the point.
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