Nick Kyrgios has never been afraid to break the mould, even if it means upsetting traditional tennis fans.
After all, he hardly fits the vision of the perfect, prim and proper player in that sphere.
However, that is arguably what makes him so special, and has helped him grow into one of the sport’s most recognisable and impactful figures despite having suffered through huge spells out with injury and never really dominated the majors on the court.
He has now detailed the exact moment when he made the change to start being himself on tour, and the impact it had.
Nick Kyrgios reveals what he changed to improve
Speaking on his podcast, Good Trouble, the 28-year-old outlined how he felt when first breaking into the tennis sphere, being surrounded by stars who fit into the categories loved by the masses.
He was nothing like them, and unsurprisingly it scared him.
Until Kyrgios reached a turning point, which arguably sparked one of his best-ever years on tour. He noted: ‘The thing about tennis is we spend the whole day with our competitors, we’re in the same locker room, shower next to each other, we eat next to each other. It’s so odd.
‘And I saw them walking around and I was like I’ll try and be more like Federer so I started to bring two bags to the court, really organised, tried to be really clean and proper. For the first couple years I didn’t feel myself, I was like this sport is so foreign to me.
‘I was really doubting whether I’d have a long career because I was really struggling to fit in, but then there was a point I was like f*** it I’m just going to be myself, I started wearing basketball jerseys on court and everyone was like ‘what is he doing?!’ And that’s when I think I had my best success.’
Nick Kyrgios is a role model whether people like it or not
Whilst many might bemoan his antics on the court, as a rude, loud and disrespectful opponent, few can deny his quality.
And whilst his occasional aptitude to flout the rules, such as Wimbledon’s all-white policy, has also drawn scorn, the deeper message behind it is the true reason why he is such a great role model.
After all, he is so unapologetically himself nowadays, all the time.
He never tries to fit in or be something he’s not, unwilling to sacrifice his own mental health to pander to the masses.
Kyrgios marks a shining light in that sphere, always promoting uniqueness and encouraging those who struggle to speak out.
If people would lambast him for being himself then so be it, but if it helps him and others feel more comfortable then who cares?
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