IS it any surprise that Nick Kyrgios — arguably the most underachieving tennis player of his generation — is a Spurs fan?
Somebody who, like his favourite football team, has the talent and could beat anyone on his day.
Nick Kyrgios is preparing for his return to court after an eight-month injury absence
The Aussie supports Tottenham because of his time spent playing FIFA
And yet, frustratingly, never manages to deliver consistently on the biggest stage.
Maybe that is a tad unfair for someone who has had a career-high ranking of 13th spot and clinched his home Australian Open men’s doubles title alongside compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis only last year.
Indeed, it is just 12 months since Kyrgios made it to a Wimbledon singles’ final — and there is no dishonour in losing to Novak Djokovic on Centre Court.
To put that into context it was a run that no British man — with the honourable exception of Andy Murray — has emulated since before the Second World War.
And yet should the Aussie eventually retire without winning one of the four major singles crowns, some would consider he had not maximised his full potential.
Ask the man himself that question — as Men’s Health magazine have done this week — and Kyrgios says his life would not be unfulfilled if he never wins a Grand Slam on his own.
Kyrgios, 28, said: “Not at all. I have had that conversation with myself and it’s a tough one to have. Every day since I came on the scene, everyone in the sport has had an opinion about me. ‘He’s one of the most talented players… will he ever fulfil his potential… will he this, will he that?’
“If you allow their expectations to influence you, you can feel a failure.
“But I can look back and I’ve achieved some pretty cool things.
“I’ve achieved a lot, been on an amazing journey.”
Tottenham’s motto of To Dare Is To Do feels appropriate for a man whose talent for outlandish shots matches his ability to cause controversy.
And the reason for supporting the North Londoners is an amusing tale, given that he grew up in Canberra, which is 10,500 miles away from the Seven Sisters Road.
Kyrgios explained: “It’s a funny story — you’ll like this.
“I play computer games a lot and I used to like Emmanuel Adebayor on Fifa. At the time, he played for Spurs, so I supported them and have never changed.”
In the seeding list published by Wimbledon on Wednesday, Kyrgios has received position No 31 in the men’s draw.
That is largely because in the past eight months, he has played only ONE professional match – a defeat to China’s Yibing Wu, 23, who had never before played on grass.
This year Kyrgios has skipped the Aussie and French Opens and underwent knee surgery in January.
Assuming he plays next week — and it remains a big IF — he will not be match sharp or fully fit heading into five-set combat.
However Kyrgios — who showcased a lot of his life and inner demons on Netflix’s Break Point series — has loved the extended time away from the 24/7 tennis treadmill.
Kyrgios admitted: “I have had an amazing time.
“If you look back at the last decade of my life, day in day out, week in week out, I have been travelling, playing, travelling, playing, not seeing family for months on end, missing significant events.
“And suddenly I’ve had time to be normal and spend time with the most important people in my life.
“So you can’t go getting upset about needing rest.
“I’ve enjoyed it. You have to look at the hand you’re dealt and see what you can do with it.
“It’s not as if tennis is the only thing I do. I do a lot more than that.
“I don’t think people in general understand how hard this sport is.
“Especially someone from Australia, like myself, because of its distance from where most tournaments are.
“We are on the road seven to eight months of the year, away from family and friends and normality, and the comforts you’re accustomed to.
“We deal with a lot of pressure, dealing with expectations.
“I don’t feel people respect how much it takes out of you mentally and emotionally.
“With me, people just see the tennis player.”
The July/August edition of Men’s Health magazine is out now.
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.sportingexcitement.com/football/premier-league/man-utd-reopen-talks-with-chelsea-over-mason-mount-but-still-wont-go-near-blues-65m-transfer-asking-price/
