MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Nick Kyrgios of Australia serves in his second round match against Andreas Seppi of Italy on day three of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Nick Kyrgios, the hot-headed and uber-talented 22-year-old tennis player, had another spectacular meltdown in the middle of a match on Wednesday in the first round of the U.S. Open.
Playing fellow Australian, John Millman, Kyrgios, who was ranked 14th, injured his shoulder, was penalized for cursing, and smashed his racket in a match that went 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 in Millman’s favor. As has been the case throughout his roller-coaster career, Kyrgios was uninterested in play once it seemed he was going to lose.
Kyrgios has become a fascination of the tennis world’s because of his temper and his infinite talent. Many, including Kyrgios, seem too believe that because of his personality, he is wasting the gift he has spent most of his life refining.
When asked after the match on Wednesday whether or not he wants his coach, Sebastien Grosjean, to continue coaching him, Kyrgios said, “I don’t know, honestly. I’m not good enough for him.”
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He continued, “You know, he’s very dedicated. He’s an unbelievable coach. you know, he probably deserves a player that is probably more dedicated to the game than I am. He deserves better than me.”
“I’m not dedicated to the game at all,” he later told reporters. He also added, “I keep letting people down.”
Kyrgios and Millman seemed poised for a competitive match after the second set yesterday but by the third, Kyrgios began rubbing his shoulder, an indication that the injury that his plagued him through out the year was back. He then asked the ball boy to help him stretch the injury out. Shortly after, he was heard cursing and was given a code violation by the chair umpire, who he promptly began to argue with.
By the end of the match, he appeared to be hitting the ball out of bounds so as to end the match as soon as possible.
Kyrgios eliminated himself from Wimbledon earlier this year, when a hip injury prevented him from playing his best.
“I’ve had a diabolical year at these Slams,” he said after the match on Wednesday. “It doesn’t surprise me. It’s just the story of my career, really. I will have good weeks, I’ll have bad weeks. It’s just a roller-coaster.”
The win against Kyrgios on Wednesday is the first ever U.S. Open victory of Millman’s career. Millman is currently ranked 235th world-wide.
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