“You can’t judge an athlete for what they do on the court because you have to be two different people.” That’s an ingenious take, some of us would wish everyone shared a similar one. Seldom that’s the case; except of course Nick Kyrgios. The ‘Bad Boy of Tennis’, although inactive on the tour level, hasn’t lost touch with the sport. Commentary gigs and talk shows only gave him an outlet to stay expressive, all the while providing his even-handed opinions. Only this time, the Aussie has defended his controversial image and that of an ex-pro – he owns a classy seven Major collection.

It happens on the most lucrative of the events. 2019 Cincinnati Masters – Kyrgios stepped off the court and shattered two racquets. His on-court misdemeanor is well-acquainted with media and fans alike. He was branded as a “silly little brat” by English businessman and Talksport host Simon Jordan due to his outspokenness, but, Kyrgios explained. The Aussie stepped on Netflix’s tennis documentary Break Point’, expressing how mental health issues imbalanced him, and led him to a different light, however, it wasn’t all consequential. According to Kyrgios, personalities “outside the box”, much like his own and McEnroe’s, can be found in multiple sports but, tennis doesn’t make the cut.

‘A gentleman’s sport’ is what this sport is. While featuring on ‘The Louis Theroux Podcast’, the host noted how Kyrgios took a hot-headed temperament which although not unusual in tennis (as known with McEnroe’s timeless rage moments), to the next level. In defense, the former World No. 13 justified, saying: “Coming into tennis, you know, with the reputation, like John McEnroe coming up, and then obviously Kyrgios… We’re a bit hot-headed in a way, but I don’t think we are really because tennis is a gentleman sport.”

“Anyone that shows any personalities kind of outside the box of the normal tennis player. Behavior that you see from us would be completely normal in say rugby or soccer, you can kind of get away with those things. You can’t judge an athlete for what they do on the court because you have to be two different people.” Later, the 29-year-old explained that his episodes of smashing racquets to bits aren’t irregular to almost every player.

“Breaking a racket has almost been branded as something that I would do, McEnroe, like a couple of the players, but everyone’s broken a racket before. All the top players have broken a racket.” The list of players who have dismantled their rackets goes long. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz‘s recent stunt in New York, and Daniil Medvedev are the tip of an iceberg. But, there’s one exception in particular. Soon-to-be-retired Rafael Nadal, who is famous for his resilient and underdog mentality, never once broke a racquet. Makes sense if they both failed to get friendly with each other’s unique attitudes.

However, that never stopped Kyrgios from reminiscing about times when Rafa invoked “inspiration” in him.

Nick Kyrgios pens heartfelt reply to rival Rafael Nadal

Australian superstar Nick Kyrgios was just as shaken as fans when Rafael Nadal dropped his surprise retirement announcement, days before the Spaniard was gifted a gold racket at the Six Kings Slam exhibition. And let’s be real, the duo’s shared a controversial past. It started when the Aussie intentionally ‘ball-painted’ Rafa at the Wimbledon in 2019. However, he compelled the competitive side of Kyrgios.

Their showdowns seldom lacked entertainment, thriller and of course, Kyrgios’ preparedness. As Nadal confirmed that the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga will conclude his career, the Aussie posted on X as a tribute. “Rafa don’t retire I wanna play you 1 last time. We had our differences but you were one hell of a warrior. This was someone that I used to prepare for. He was a motivation – I guess an inspiration. People do bring the best out of you.”

With no plans to return to the ATP calendar, fans don’t see any agenda in sight. Kyrgios loves living life on his terms and will look to come back if the situation suits him right. All we can hope is that he does. The roaring home crowd in Melbourne might motivate him to return in 2025, who knows?