Nick Kyrgios thinks that the reaction to Novak Djokovic’s sarcastic impersonation of Ben Shelton after beating young American sensation in the US Open semifinal has been blown out of proportion.
The flamboyant Aussie said that athletes are expected to maintain a ridiculously high standard of behavior and asserted that humans when put into competition can at times get carried away with all the emotions and drama happening in the moment.
Taking exception to all the criticism directed towards 24-time GS champion, Kyrgios thinks that why critics picked that one instance after the end of match instead of talking about the superb semifinal clash.
Shelton’s father Bryan told GQ Sports: “He wants to be loved so much, Novak. He wanted to mock Ben at the end. It wasn’t something he was doing just to copy Ben.
“It was to mock him. And that’s too bad, for that to come from such a great champion.”
Responding to those remarks in particular, Kyrgios wrote on twitter/X: “So what, Sport is entertainment. We are not robots.
“More people spoke about the celebration than the match.”
Kyrgios who is known for his on and off-court tantrums in the sport, has been vocal about the impact of the pressure on mental health of professional players and has frequently stood up for fellow players accused of abusive behavior on the circuit.
Talking about his struggles as a professional player, 2022 Wimbledon-finalist said: “I was abusing alcohol a lot, drugs, and that spiralled out of control. Now, I barely drink, I literally have a glass of wine at dinner.
“That was the initial kind of thing I had to clean up a little bit and then build my relationship back with my family and get into healthier habits like the basics — like diet, getting good sleep, trying to train a little bit more and that was it.”
The Maverick Australian is known for his divisive views and has never shied away from calling out things that are wrong to him.
“I deal with it all the time,” Canberra-native told Wide World of Sports in 2022.
“People just think raising the finger, abusing someone or making racist comments is acceptable in this day and age, and I just don’t think that’s acceptable at all.”
Kyrgios, 28 also opened up about his struggles in a Guardian interview in Feb 2022.
“I know that day to day life can seem extremely exhausting, impossible at times,” Kyrgios said.
“I understand that you feel if you open up it may make you feel weak, or scared. I’m telling you right now, it’s OK, you are not alone.
“I’ve been through those times when it seemed as if those positive energetic vibes were never ever going to be reality.”
The firebrand big-server has been on sidelines for the most part of the 2023 season because of multiple injury problems and his date of return is still not confirmed.