TENNIS sensation Nick Kyrgios has always been one of the most sledged figures in Australian sport, but a new assessment comparing him to former tennis beauty Anna Kournikova could be the biggest sledge he’s received.
An assessment of Kyrgios’ career trajectory from Sports Illustrated America senior writer Jon Wertheim paints Kyrgios as nothing more than a sideshow alley attraction.
The 21-year-old arrived in New York for the US Open one of the most talked about figures in tennis after featuring in a front-cover feature story in the New York Times.
He left Flushing Meadows with his reputation in a worse position than when he arrived, according to Wertheim.
The Sports Illustrated executive editor wrote in a US Open 2016 tournament wrap that Kyrgios’ status as tennis’ most exciting rising star is on track to burn down to nothing if he does not change his attitude.
Crowd favourite.Source:News Limited
The world No. 16 was eliminated in the third round of the grand slam when he retired hurt because of an ongoing hip injury.
He left in yet another cloud of controversy after US tennis legend John McEnroe told the Australian to quit the sport if his heart isn’t in it.
Wertheim wrote Kyrgios is in danger of becoming a tennis gimmick similar to the career of former women’s world No. 8 Anna Kournikova.
The Russian glamour was a tennis sensation without ever threatening to win a grand slam.
“Nick Kyrgios may have graced the cover of the pre-tournament New York Times magazine, but I’m not sure how much we learned about him this event,” Wertheim wrote.
“Or this year, for that matter. Until the delta between the talent and the conviction/commitment narrows, it will be hard for him to be a top 10 player, much less win majors.
“If not, in an Anna Kournikova kind of way, he can still be a star, a credible player whose image and popularity outstrips his achievements. And that’s fine. Kournikova wasn’t fraudulent; she was a player in that 11-20 range — the same terrain which Kyrgios currently occupies.
Anna Kournikova has a few years on Nick Kyrgios.Source:News Limited
“Perhaps Kyrgios invites a think piece on culture, ethnicity, generational confrontation, challenging an establishment. But is it more complicated than this: he is a kid — his arrested development was laid bare in the first paragraph of that Times article — still deciding whether he wants to dedicate himself fully to a pursuit.”
Wertheim said at the end of the day the money Kyrgios is likely to earn because of his marketability is no less real than the money his fellow ATP Tour players earn through prize money.
“Know this: Kygrios may be shrouded in question marks — which could be painful given those corners and arcs and angles — but agents like his upside,” Wertheim wrote.
“He and his family took multiple pitch meetings — including one by a former player — with mid seven-figure guarantees in the offing.”
Not interested.Source:Getty Images
Meanwhile, Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt rates Kyrgios a 50-50 chance of playing in the Davis Cup tennis world group play-off against Slovakia in Sydney.
Australia’s highest world-ranked player at No. 16, Kyrgios suffered a hip injury which forced his withdrawal from the US Open.
“I was a lot more positive today than I probably had been when I was in New York,” Hewitt said.
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