Nick Kyrgios Unfiltered: The Gift The Mercurial One Keeps On Giving To Tennis

Nick Kyrgios (photo: Michael Dickens)

WASHINGTON, December 21, 2023 (by Michael Dickens)

Lately, mercurial Australian Nick Kyrgios has had a lot to say about the sport of tennis even though a series of injuries limited him to exactly one match during the 2023 season – a forgettable, 7-5, 6-3 first-round loss on grass to Wu Yibing in Stuttgart, Germany last June.

First, he used his Only Fans social media forum to announce he would not be healthy in time to play in next month’s Australian Open. Now, Kyrgios, who was a focal point in the first season of the Netflix series “Break Point,” has lit up Tennis Twitter – thanks largely to a spat between him and Hall of Fame great Boris Becker, who is now coaching Holger Rune, over comments by Kyrgios about the current state of tennis as it compares to the 1980s and 1990s.

In an interview with Eurosport, Becker said that past legends of tennis such as Rod Laver, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg made it possible for Kyrgios to earn a living from the sport without having to compete all year.

“We live in a democracy. Everyone can think what he wants,” Becker said. “You have to have respect for the past and simply say ‘thank you’ out loud that these old pros existed, because without them the tennis circus would no longer exist. …

“They popularized the sport, they drew viewers to the television. You can see the result today. There has never been so much prize money, there has never been so much publicity as there is today. And that’s because of the legends. I did play a bit in the 80s, but there was Edberg, Wilander. The 90s were Agassi, Sampras. All these players make it possible for Nick Kyrgios not to play tennis at all this year and still be able to make a living from tennis.”

To which Kyrgios responded via X (formally known as Twitter): “Uhh what? I’ve been arguably one of the most watched players outside the big three the last decade? Fans around the world and have brought so many more people to the sport. I’ve created my own stuff off the court. Try to not hide any more assets.”

Over the past week, there’s been plenty of back and forth between the 28-year-old Kyrgios and Becker, 56, who won Wimbledon at age 17 back in 1985. Kyrgios also shared verbal barbs with The Tennis Podcast co-host David Law and former pro Yevgeny Kafelnikov via social media. By Tuesday evening, things seemed to have settled down. Perhaps, cooler heads prevailed?

Stay tuned.

Matt Futterman: Why Steve Simon and women’s tennis are suffering a fallout

Steve Simon showed massive courage by taking on China during the Peng Shuai debacle, writes Matt Futterman. “Sadly, women’s tennis and Simon are still struggling with the fallout.”

Last week, Futterman, who covers professional tennis for The Athletic, penned an honest and detailed article that explains how the WTA chief executive Simon’s biggest moment atop women’s tennis ultimately led to his demise and a shakeup of the organization’s top management.

Holger Rune: Adds former Federer coach Luthi to the 2024 team

After renewing his coaching relationship with six-time Grand Slam champion and Hall of Famer Boris Becker last month, on Wednesday World No. 8 Holger Rune of Denmark added Severin Luthi, the former longtime coach of Roger Federer, to his 2024 team.

The 20-year-old Danish star confirmed the addition of Luthi via social media, saying that he was “very happy” to welcome the former Federer mentor to his team. A group photo of Rune, Luthi and Becker along with Rune’s mother and manager, Aneke Rune, and Mouratoglou Adademy coach Lapo Becherini that was taken in Monaco accompanied the announcement.

Luthi will work alongside Becker, according to Rune, who included the hashtags #team, #2024, #development and #goals in his social media post.

Roland-Garros 2024: Bringing Roland-Garros to the Seine

The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has revealed its official 2024 Roland-Garros tournament poster. This year’s theme for the 45th tournament poster, bringing Roland-Garros 5o the Seine, was created by photographer Paul Rousteau.

According to the FFT, this year’s poster is innovative for its use of artificial intelligence by the photographer in his creative process. “I really wanted to show tennis invading Paris,” Rousteau said.

Arthur Fils: Channeling style and sporting performance with Lacoste

Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up Arthur Fils of France has left Asics for Lacoste, the French apparel company founded by French tennis legend René Lacoste in 1935, that also outfits Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. Fils has been named a brand ambassador for textile and eyewear collections.

At age 19, Fils became the youngest player to crack the ATP Top 50 after winning his first tour-level title in Lyon last May. He finished the 2023 season ranked 36th.

Fils told Women’s Wear Daily that he’s proud to be associated with Lacoste because it “symbolizes elegance, authenticity, and the union between style and sporting performance.

“Lacoste is part of the tennis imagination and represents a strong history, marked by the legacy of René Lacoste and the legend of Les Mousquetaires,” he added. “For me, joining Lacoste today means becoming part of a company that is both iconic and on a human scale, and assuring myself of excellent support daily, as well as for major tournaments.”

Venus Williams: A love for Miami and the contemporary and modern art scene

Miami and the South Florida palm beaches aren’t only synonymous for the Miami Open. Each December, the art world flocks to Art Basel Miami Beach, which touts itself as “North America’s most comprehensive international art fair,” and it’s where Venus Williams and her fellow modern and contemporary art aficionados, Reilly Opelka and J.J. Wolf, were seen last week among the thousands of attendees mingling with artists, art dealers, collectors and fans plus nearly 300 different galleries.

Being in Miami and enjoying art, Willams told Tennis.com, are two of her favorite things. She even co-hosted an event with Pace Gallery, a leading contemporary and modern art gallery representing 20th and 21st century artists with nine locations worldwide.

“Pace Gallery is one of my favorite galleries because of the work that they do,” Williams said. “I love being in the community because it helps me learn. It’s nice to talk to people about what you love, learn things about new artists, old artists, all those things. … This was my second event with Pace, and I can’t wait for the third.”

Passing shots

By the numbers

Ten U.S. men and 17 American women finished the 2023 season ranked in the ATP and WTA Top 100, respectively.

“Quotable …”

“My goal is to consolidate as a Top 10 player and fight for major tournaments, including the Olympic Games.”

– World No. 11 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil, interviewed by Vogue Brazil.

 

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