‘Box office can never be a bad thing for the sport!’ Boris Becker IMPRESSED by Nick Kyrgios’ impact at the Australian Open
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Boris Becker and Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios is definitely the biggest entertainer on the tennis court by a mile. The energy, the drama and the unorthodox nature that he brings on the court is loved and cherished by fans all across the world. Although he gets into trouble on and off the court regularly, everyone is in for a treat whenever he plays. And he once again proven at the 2022 Australian Open that the hype around him is justified.
Kyrgios faced second seeded Daniil Medvedev in the second round where he lost in 4 sets. But still, the intensity he showed on court and the way he pushed one of the best players in the world was unreal. It was carnival at the Rod Laver Arena as the fans sang songs, danced, cheered, booed and rooted for Kyrgios.
But the good thing is that he is still alive in the tournament. He is playing Men’s Doubles with fellow Aussie Thanasi Kakkinakis and the duo have made it to the semifinals beating the top seeds en route. And once again, the atmosphere whenever they play is unmatched.
Tennis legend Boris Becker recently spoke about Kyrgios in Daily Mail and lauded him for bringing excitement to tennis. He said that Nick has reminded everyone that box office can never be bad for tennis. But Becker also expressed his concern that after Oz Open, Nick’s ranking will be close to 120 which means that he won’t even have a direct entry into the majors.
“Nick Kyrgios has reminded us all this week that he is pure box office and that can never be a bad thing for the sport. The sober fact, however, is that after this event he is going to have a ranking close to 120 and that is not even going to get him directly into the field for future Grand Slams, as it stands,” Becker said.
Becker said that while he most probably will get wild cards, but it still is a dangerous territory for him as he may have to play challenger tournaments if his ranking keeps on dropping.
“Naturally, he is going to be offered a certain number of wildcards for singles events but it is dangerous territory for him. Does he really want to end up playing Challenger events, or qualifying in front of very small crowds? I just wish he was doing what he does while competing in the second week of Grand Slam singles events, because he remains perfectly capable of that,” the 6-time grand slam champion said.
‘The real shame would be if Kyrgios gets to 35 and is full of regrets’: Becker
Like many others, Becker too wondered what the Aussie could’ve achieved if he had a proper schedule and discipline for the sport. He said that Nick could easily be a top 15 player even today if he had the right work ethic.
“Kyrgios is only 26 and you wonder what he could achieve if he had a proper schedule, coaching set-up and a bit of discipline and dedication. He is very active on social media and a lot of the attention around him is focused on stuff that is not really to do with tennis. I still think he could be a top 15 player if he had half the work ethic of some others. It is not too late for him but it is getting that way. There does seem to be a greater maturity to some of the things he is saying, so maybe the realization is coming,” he added.
Becker hoped that in around 10 years, Nick won’t have any regrets about wasting his talent. “The real shame would be if he gets to 35 and is full of regrets that he did not use the talent he has been blessed with. Perhaps he should imagine a chat with himself as that 35-year-old,” he said.
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Lakshya Chopra
(2595 Articles Published)