Kyrgios laps up being in limelight
IF YOU think Nick Kyrgios is getting rattled by all the critics and haters, think again.
The truth is the self-proclaimed bad boy of world tennis is loving all the attention – especially now that he is through to the last eight at Wimbledon and with a real shot at winning the title.
He’s been called “evil” and “a bully” by one of his opponents, he’s been called a cretin by the English tabloids, he’s been heckled by spectators and roasted on social media – but he couldn’t care less.
“I sit here now in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon again, and I just know there’s so many people that are so upset,” he boasted.
Rather than be deflated, Kyrgios is revelling in the role of the villain, oblivious to the complaints around him.
When he started ranting to the umpire over a disputed call during his 4-6 6-4 7-6 3-6 6-2 win over Brandon Nakashima on Monday, a spectator yelled at him to “stop moaning.” Kyrgios just carried on. At his post-match press conference, a journalist grilled him for breaking the All England club’s dress regulations by wearing red sneakers and a red baseball cap to his on-court interview instead of white.
Kyrgios snapped back at the reporter: “I do what I want.
“No, I’m not above the rules. I just like wearing my Jordans. It’s more attention for me. Any publicity is good publicity, right?”
Kyrgios’ media conferences at Wimbledon this year have become almost as well attended as his matches because he’s completely unfiltered.
In a better mood than the last time he fronted the press to be told Stefanos Tsitsipas had called him every name under the sun, Kyrgios was still just as a combative as he touched on a wide range of topics after his win over Nakashima – from the mind games he used on his opponents, to his shoulder problems.
Revealing how he bounced back so quickly to steamroll Nakashima in the fifth set after lamely giving up the fourth and looking down for the count, he said: “(That was a) complete rope-a-dope tactic.
“I just threw away that service game. I knew he was in a rhythm. He was starting to get on top of me. I kind of just wanted to throw him off a little bit. It worked.”
Asked if his shoulder was seriously injured after he was wincing in pain and received painkillers and a medical timeout during the match, he dismissed it.
“I’ve played so much tennis in the last month and a half, so I almost knew that it was time for my body to start feeling some niggles,” he said.
“I think that’s normal. It’s just something I manage.”