Australian Open: Nick Kyrgios continues to be a case: “He needs the likes, he needs the interactions”

Maybe it will be 10, 15, 20 or maybe even closer to 50 or 100 followers. The fact is that next Monday at 2:00 p.m., the Australian Open has called on all fans who believe they look like Nick Kyrgios to an imitation contest. Before the day, the brave ones will be placed in the center of the very center court of Melbourne Park and the public will decide the winner. The prize? Actually, none. The fun is being part of the joke, although there will be a hairdresser who will style the candidates’ hair like the Australian tennis player does.

“Because? What a waste of time. “No one wants to look like that clown.” “How crazy, you are going in the wrong direction.” «Really? After everything he’s done? That means that the Australian Open supports his attitude. Last Monday, as soon as the Grand Slam announced the contest, its accounts on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and of course X were filled with negative comments: no one liked the idea. The ‘look-alike Contest’ are in fashion and work to encourage the public, but there is still no tennis player more controversial than Kyrgios. His conversion into a character for all audiences has not really worked.

Inactive since the summer of 2023, the Australian, whose peak was number 13 in the ATP ranking and that Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovicdedicated all of last season to carving out a different image off the slopes. Great with a racket in his hands, he had also been involved in a thousand controversies as a tennis player – spitting at the stands, insulting judges and rivals and even simulated masturbation – but he was recycling himself as a prized television commentator.

The joke about Kalinskaya

His talent allowed him to read the games with precision and his loquacity allowed him to explain them like few others. In the last Australian Open he worked for Eurosport – he did interviews on the court -, at Wimbledon for the BBC and at the US Open, for ESPN.

At only 29 years old and while recovering from his wrist and knee injuries, Kyrgios was becoming a television star until the positive test was discovered. Jannik Sinner. Like many others, the Australian was very critical of the world number one and the ATP’s handling of the case, but that was not what hurt him.

His opinions were mixed with a joke about Anna Kalinskayaex-girlfriend of Kyrgios himself and current partner of Sinner, and in recent weeks they have become constant harassment. For example, a few days ago Cruz Hewittson of Lleyton Hewittcompleted a training session in Melbourne with Sinner and Kyrgios filled his Instagram with unpleasant comments. “I thought we were friends,” he said to the barely 16-year-old boy between syringe emojis.

The war with Roddick

For this reason, Kyrgios, who as a commentator was gaining followers, has returned to controversy. From censor to censored. Waiting to know if he will be able to play this Australian Open, for which he is classified with a protected ranking despite the discomfort he still has, last Tuesday he was the protagonist of the latest episode of the former world number one’s podcast Andy Roddick. Kyrgios had suggested that Roddick himself doped because he defended Sinner and his response was unequivocal.

“Nick needs the likes, he needs the interactions. Right now he is a tennis influencer. He lives by and for the likes, by and for the comments section. He feels cool, of course. He is one of the most talented tennis players I have ever seen.” seen in my life, but he is a hypocrite when he judges people,” said Roddick, who did not hesitate to remember that years ago Kyrgios pleaded guilty to assaulting an ex-girlfriend, Chiara Passari: “He’s someone who has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting your girlfriend, and he wants people to understand his context, saying that he was in a bad place, that he was taking drugs. He will always be the guy who pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman.” “.

Next Monday at 2:00 p.m., maybe 10 or maybe 100 fans will come to the Kyrgios impersonator contest, but he will still be the most controversial tennis player in the world.