The tennis world has rode the ups and downs that have come with Kyrgios, from his success as a teenager to the challenges he has had on and off the court. Incredibly, 10 of Nick’s first 12 wins on the ATP tour came at Grand Slams, and he defeated tennis’ so-called ‘Big 3’ of Roger, Rafa and Novak in his first encounter against each of them.
There have never been any questions surrounding his talent, or his ability to perform on the big stage, yet the 24-year old is still yet to break into the world’s ‘Top 10’ ranked players. In spite of Nick’s many accomplishments since upsetting Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon as an 18-year old wildcard, his progress and career has not flourished in the way that the Australian public have hoped for.
There are multiple reasons that this could be put down to, from constant behaviour issues on the court, to questions over whether he needs an official coach, or first and foremost, if Nick has the mindset that he wants to be the best. Yet, the expectation placed on Kyrgios from a young age, by the Australian and tennis community, has continually acted as a burden on his career.
As much as the Australian people have admired Nick’s effort over the recent Summer, it may still take a larger sample of a changed Nick Kyrgios or a Grand Slam title, to win-over an expectant and critical, yet equitable home crowd. Nevertheless, he must continue to conduct himself in a positive manner off and more importantly on the court, regardless of the tournament or opponent, before his evolvement can be truly recognised. It will begin with a genuine and pragmatic mentality in all tournaments from inside his own head, which will ultimately help Nick re-discover his best tennis.
It begins this coming week when Nick returns to Acapulco in the hope of defending his ranking points and gaining a wave of momentum ahead of what could potentially be a career changing season. We all want to see Nick thriving and reaching his full potential, yet it will depend on whether he can get his own mind right, and whether the Australian public is prepared to be right there with him. For the time being, enjoy what this man is doing, entertaining people all over the world, attracting more fans to the sport and we’ll hopefully see him wearing the sombrero again later this week.