Sports need entertainers, particularly individual events where the collective focus is narrowed to a limited pool of performers. Every time said platform is taken to, those watching on from afar are relying on a finite group of elite competitors to justify their ticket price or subscription cost.
There is plenty to be said for stability and consistency: those that are able to achieve a certain standard and remain at that level always going to stand themselves in good stead when it comes to bids for major honours.
It is, however, the enigmas that stand out from the crowd and get audiences on their feet. These characters may not always follow an established rule book, but that is what makes them so appealing.
Kyrgios: The Bad Boy Of Tennis
Nick Kyrgios very much occupies the mercurial talent bracket at present. His remarkable run at Wimbledon in 2022 suggests that potential is finally ready to be unlocked, with outright tennis betting odds pricing him at 25/1 for US Open glory. Many tennis tipsters may not be entirely convinced by his claims to a major crown just yet, but this star is most definitely on the rise.
Kyrgios’ ability has never been in question, but attitude and aptitude have and it is those issues that have held him back. He does, however, fit the mould of many champions before him, even while failing to toe the line.
First Grand Slam final. Business as usual.#Wimble don | #Cent reCourt100 pic.twitter.com/q686TbIIaR
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) Jul y 10, 2022
When it comes to activities such as tennis, golf and snooker, showmen and women can take centre stage. Pantomime villains emerge at times, but that is all part of the fun and those that break from the norm tend to earn plenty of adulation and respect in time. Think John McEnroe yelling at an umpire, while also being an all-time great, or John Daly defying the odds to win The Open and Ronnie O’Sullivan wowing onlookers with a cue in hand.
Big break
Kyrgios will never stand alongside the legends, but he can forge his own unique legacy of sorts. He is already a Grand Slam finalist, and only a select few can claim to have scaled such heights. An exclusive club is occupied there, but history has a tendency to forget about runners-up.
For now, the outspoken Aussie is best known for his on-court theatrics, with trick shots and underarm serves thrown into any given display alongside a tendency to turn the air blue. His passion is to be admired, but he has worked hard to get where he is and will want to be remembered as much more than just a bad boy.
Well done, Nick! @NickKyrgios | @Wimbledon | #wimbled on pic.twitter.com/GQQHYd3YQf
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 10, 2022
He has come close to etching his name into the record books, with Novak Djokovic proving to be a hurdle too far in SW19, but a taste of the high life has now been savoured. That may help to rein in some of Kyrgios’ more outlandish qualities and convince him that he is capable of rubbing shoulders with the elite.
One opportunity has passed him by, in a career that has seen him given several second chances by the relevant authorities, but will he get another? And if he does, then can his place in sporting folklore be changed forever.