Nick Kyrgios makes his feelings known about him and John McEnroe being labeled 'hot-headed' by tennis community
Nick Kyrgios recently addressed his fiery demeanor on the court and the comparisons to tennis legend John McEnroe, often labeled as 'hot-headed'. The Australian emphasized that athletes often have dual personas and should not be judged solely by their behavior during matches.
Kyrgios has often faced questions about his on-court behavior. One notable incident happened during the 2022 Halle Open, where the Australian engaged in a heated argument with the chair umpire after receiving a time violation warning.
Seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe displayed a similar on-court persona. Known for frequently showing anger and frustration during matches, the 65-year-old earned the moniker of "Superbrat."
In a recent episode of The Louis Theroux Podcast, Nick Kyrgios was asked about his 'feisty' on-court persona. The former Wimbledon reflected on his on-court demeanor, comparing himself to John McEnroe. The Aussie noted that while he and McEnroe might seem "hot-headed," tennis, as a traditionally gentlemanly sport, often amplifies their expression.
"That's been a story in my life. Really I mean coming into tennis, this is the answer to the couple of questions that you gave me with the reputations like John McEnroe coming up and then obviously Kyrgios. I guess we are a bit hot-headed in a way but I don't think we are really because you know tennis is such a old, gentlemen sport," Kyrgios said (at 3:48).
Kyrgios said that showing strong emotions is often seen as unconventional in tennis, whereas such behavior is accepted in sports like rugby or soccer.
"I think, anyone that kind of shows any personality is kind of outside the box and outside the cookie cutter of the normal tennis player. So I feel like behaviour that you see from us would be completely normal in say rugby or soccer or you can kind of get away with those things in my opinion. I mean look, you can't judge an athlete for what they do on the court, because you have to be two different people in my opinion," he added.
Kyrgios has played just one match since the conclusion of the 2022 season due to knee and wrist injuries that necessitated surgery. Nevertheless, the Australian kept himself engaged with the sport as a commentator.
Nick Kyrgios plans to return on tour at the start of the 2025 season
In a recent interview with Code Sports, Nick Kyrgios announced that he will participate in the World Tennis League event in December and will return to the tour at the beginning of next year.
“I am coming back because something is keeping me around the game. I have beaten pretty much every person that has been put in front of me, made a final of a Grand Slam, won a doubles title in a Grand Slam, won multiple titles and made money," he said (via Ubi Tennis).
Kyrgios expressed that his primary goal is to win a Grand Slam, believing it will silence his critics and serve as a strong motivation.
"But I think the one thing that is now on my target is a Grand Slam. I think that will be the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day. That’ll be my deep motivation," he added.
Notably, Kyrgios has hinted at retirement multiple times during his absence from the sport. The 29-year-old has won seven ATP titles and boasts a record of 205 victories in 319 matches played throughout his career.