"It's not about singles, doubles, mixed, I feel like even if Nick Kyrgios was playing chess, the stadium would be full"- Patrick Mouratoglou
Renowned tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou feels mercurial and passionate characters like Nick Kyrgios are good for the sport of tennis. The 51-year-old, who coaches Serena Williams and Stefanos Tsitsipas, reckons the Aussie has the ability to attract crowds and fill up stadiums irrespective of the sport he's playing.
"It's not about playing singles, doubles, mixed doubles, I feel like if Kyrgios was playing chess, the stadium would be full. Some players are able to bring so much people to watch them because they are exciting," Mouratoglou said on an episode of Tennis Majors' Eye of the Coach. "We need action, we need passion, we need craziness. Sport is about the athlete sharing his/her emotion with the crowd. Nick is a master in that.
The coach reckons a strict "code of conduct" can kill the personalities of characters like Kyrgios, preventing them from flourishing. He also feels it's important for players to be given the freedom to express themselves without consequences.
"We can't create another Nick Kyrgios but there are other players who are very exciting to watch. It's important to give them every opportunity to just express their personalities. If the code of conduct is extremely hard, you kill the diversity of the behaviors and personalities because on a tennis court, all the players behave almost the same," he said.
Kyrgios has courted controversy over the years with his actions on the tennis court, which range from tanking to throwing a chair on the court and yelling obscenities and match officials.
According to Mouratoglou, players like Kyrgios do not mind getting fined, and that their main focus is to provide an unforgettable experience for fans.
"There are still some like Benoit Paire and Nick Kyrgios who don't care about getting thousands and thousands of dollars of fines while most of the others try not to get fined," he said. "These players are exciting to watch because something crazy can happen. Those guys are filling up the stadiums, that's what it is. They are creating a lot of excitement for our sport and they are bringing new fans, so we need them."
Even if @NickKyrgios was playing chess, the stadium would be full. twitter.com/tennis_majors/…
Nick Kyrgios is in the men's doubles final at the Australian Open
Nick Kyrgios has caused quite a storm at the Australian Open so far. The 26-year-old was eliminated in the second round of the singles event by Daniil Medvedev, but has mesmerized spectators in the men's doubles competition alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The duo have eliminated multiple seeded pairs en route to the final, where they will take on compatriots Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell.
: @wwos · @espn · @eurosport · @wowowtennisThe @tkokkinakis & @nickkyrgios show will have a FINAL episode 🙌
They score a 7-6(4) 6-4 upset over No.3 seeds Granollers/Zeballos and will face fellow Aussies Matt Ebden/Max Purcell for the title.
#AusOpen · #AO2022
🎥: @wwos · @espn · @eurosport · @wowowtennis https://t.co/82PgEcuoep
The men's doubles event at the 2022 Australian Open is the first since 1980 to have an all-Australian final. The last Australian pair to win the title were Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in 1997.