Picture:
Keystone
After almost eleven months without a competitive game, Nick Kyrgios is planning his comeback in early February. The former tennis bully is likely to have imagined the return to the field differently.
It was around a year ago that Nick Kyrgios showed a previously unknown side. First of all, the Australian launched a large fundraising campaign for the numerous victims of the bush fires in his own homeland, transferred 200 dollars himself for every ace beaten and won numerous fan hearts. Later, during the corona pandemic, the bad boy turns out to be a warning voice of reason – and a role model.
Without exception, Kyrgios criticizes the regular slip-ups of his professional colleagues with sharp words, and he does not stop at big names like Novak Djokovic or Boris Becker. At the same time, the 25-year-old lends a hand as a «postman» and delivers purchases home to those in need.
No return to the 2020 tour
When the ATP tour announced the resumption of gaming in autumn, other things were still in the foreground for Kyrgios. He cancels the US Open without hesitation. “Let’s take a deep breath and remember what is really important,” he justified his decision in a video message.
At the same time, he makes it clear that he has no problem hosting the event in Flushing Meadows – for those players who wanted to play. With one requirement: “You have to act in the interests of others, you cannot dance on tables or travel greedily through Europe.”
A little later, Kyrgios also gave the postponed French Open a cancellation, anyway he will not return to the tour in 2020. “I’ll just act responsibly and wait until I think there are better circumstances to play,” Kyrgios said. But he now receives the receipt for this.
A high price
For eleven months, Kyrgios did not play a single game on the tour, most recently he chased the yellow felt ball in Acapulco in February – at that time still number 23 in the world rankings. Afterwards, he keeps slipping in the ranking and is currently still in 46th place. That has its consequences.
Because at the ATP Cup, which will be held at the beginning of February immediately before the Australian Open, the two best-ranked individual players in the country represent their own nation. Kyrgios is no longer one of these – Alex de Minaur (ATP 23) and John Millman (ATP 38) stand in front of the sun for him in this regard.
Assuming de Minaur and Millman can compete, the popular team competition will be missing one of the main characters from last year. Instead, the local hero returns to the field in a far less prestigious 250cc tournament taking place at the same time. It is a high price that Kyrgios has to pay for his exemplary attitude in the past year.
