Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, who struggled with depression and fits of rage, was ranked 137th in the world tennis rankings less than half a year ago. Today, he can rise to the brightest podium in tennis.
The fact that the Australian 27-year-old tennis player Nick Kyrgios to play in the Wimbledon final is absolutely extraordinary.
The sensational player who excelled as a junior dropped out of the ATP ranking earlier this year outside the top 100 (you will switch to another service), when he withdrew from the Australian Open in January due to illness. At his lowest point, Kyrgios was ranked 137th in the world rankings in February.
On Sunday, Kyrgios will play in by far the toughest match of his career, when he will face the tournament’s number one ranked Serbia on the center court of Wimbledon Novak Djokovic.
However, the Aussie, who has gone from shock to shock at Wimbledon, has a realistic chance to celebrate victory in the first Grand Slam final of his career.
From the fields of Canberra to a crazy star
Kyrgios is from Canberra, Australia. Kyrgios’ father George is a Greek Australian and his mother Norlaila Malaysian. His father is a house painter and his mother is a computer engineer.
Norlaila was born in her home country into the royal family of the Sultan of Selangor, but she renounced the status of a princess when she moved to Australia to study in her twenties. Currently Kyrgios’ mother waiting for a kidney transplant in Australia (you will switch to another service) and therefore cannot go to England to watch his son’s final.
On Friday, Kyrgios posted a picture from his childhood, where he showed off his old training frames.
– I never thought I would get to this point. The courts in my hometown of Canberra were terrible and now I have the opportunity to play in the Wimbledon final. Anything is possible if you believe in yourself. Now look at this photo, I literally look like Manny from Modern Family, Kyrgios joked to British media With Telegraph & Argus (you switch to another service).
At the beginning of his career, Kyrgios quickly profiled himself as a teenage star and rose to the top of the Junior World Ranking. Kyrgios won the Junior doubles titles at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2012 and the singles tournament at the Australian Open in 2013.
Kyrgios turned professional at the age of 17 in 2013 and the success of his junior years continued at a rapid pace. He broke into the sport’s top 50 at the age of 19 and became the first since Nadal to reach multiple Grand Slam quarterfinals before the age of 20.
At his best, he was ranked number one in the ATP list in singles on October 13, 2016.
However, Kyrgios was not able to maintain the level of success of his junior years and his performances began to decline due to a lack of motivation.
Spitting, barking and teasing
Nowadays, Kyrgios’ performances on the court are often buried in the headlines under his flamboyant personality. The Aussie player, known for his temper tantrums and low-grade language, has received countless fines and suspensions for his antics.
In 2019, the ATP gave him a 16-week ban for “egregious conduct”. Kyrgios himself justified his antics by opening up about his depression in 2020 and said that he has been seeing a psychologist since 2018.
The “bad boy of tennis” has also been in the headlines at Wimbledon several times.
In the opening match of the tournament, Great Britain Paul Jubbin with Kyrgios raged at the referee and spat at the audience and was fined for his actions.
– One spectator had just come to the place just to disturb and bark at the players. I was just responding to disrespectful behavior, Kyrgios explained the episode to the BBC (switching to another service).
In the third round match, Kyrgios barked at the referee and also got Greece with his behavior Stefanos Tsitsipas completely out of place. A frustrated Tsitsipas tried to hit the ball furiously at Kyrgio, but the shot flew into the stands and almost hit a fan in the head.
After the match, Tsitsipas called Kyrgios, among other things, a bully at the press conference. The Greek star received a fine of 9,600 euros, Kyrgios had to pay more than 3,800 euros.
of Guardian (you switch to another service) according to the Australian former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash57, recently accused Kyrgios of “cheating, manipulating and exploiting” this year’s tournament.
– Complete mayhem. He has taken tennis to a substandard level in terms of manners. Something has to be done about this complete circus, Cash scolded Kyrgios in harsh words.
Ahead of the trial on suspicion of abuse
The entertainments of the tennis star, who is known as hot, are not limited only to the court.
The AP news agency reported on Tuesday that Kyrgios will stand trial in Canberra in early August. In his home country, the tennis player is facing charges for assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
– The accusation is serious in nature, and Mr. Kyrgios takes it very seriously, lawyer Jason Moffett said in the Canberra Times.
If found guilty, Kyrgios could face up to two years in prison. However, the Wimbledon tournament organization and the ATP tour gave the green light for Kyrgios to play for now.
– We are aware of the Nick Kyrgios case in Australia, but since the trial is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time, the ATP spokesperson stated.
Brotherly love put to the test in the final?
In today’s Wimbledon final, Djokovic has a chance to win his 21st Grand Slam title and seventh Wimbledon, while Kyrgios hopes to win his first.
If the hot-blooded Australian holds his nerve, he has a very realistic chance of knocking the Serbian off. Kyrgios is one of two active players with a winning history against Djokovic.
The men met twice on hard court in 2017, with Kyrgios winning both matches in Mexico and the United States.
In terms of gameplay, Kyrgios is known for his aggressive style of play and particularly strong serve, the speed of which is at best 225 km/h. He has a great forehand and a consistently strong two-handed knuckleball that will come into its own on English grass.
Like Kyrgios’ career, the relationship between the final pair has also experienced ups and downs. Kyrgios has described (you go to another service) previously calling Djokovic an “odd bird” and someone with a “sick obsession with being liked”.
The Serbian star responded to Kyrgios’ insults by saying in the winter of 2021 that he does not respect Kyrgios off the court at all.
Since then, the sound has changed on the clock when Djokovic was excluded from the Australian Open in January due to his vaccination status. At the time, Kyrgios was one of the few who publicly defended him.
– I don’t know if you can still call it bromance, but when I was having a hard time, he was there for me. I really appreciate it, Djokovic said in the Telegraph & Argus.
Today, the pair sled is busy in connections.
“In fact, earlier this week he (Djokovic) sent me a message saying, ‘I hope to see you on Sunday,'” Kyrgios quipped.
The men’s singles final starts in London at 16:00 Finnish time.