Nick Kyrgios never shies away from speaking his mind and the Australian tennis star has opened up about the discrimination he faces in the sport due to the color of his skin
The Aussie Firebrand admits he has a love-hate relationship with tennis and has often been described as a bad boy of the game, due to his antics on the court and strong opinions
However, the 25-year-old also claims the sport is inherently a « white gentleman’s sport » making it difficult for him and other « colored » players to be accepted into the game.
Kyrgios delves into several questions as the first topic of an upcoming series on ABC called Reputation Rehab, which examines whether he is able to change public perceptions about him
He explosively asserts that sports culture is underpinned by elements of racism
« It’s supposed to be a nice white gentleman’s sport, » said Kyrgios, whose father is Greek and mother Malaysian
« So seeing someone of color like me come out and be different and be successful is not that easy to see sometimes »
Kyrgios’ mother Norlaila echoed some of these sentiments and revealed that as a young player the Australian was often the target of ‘racist’ attacks
Kyrgios admits he’s a sore loser and, coupled with his opinionated and outspoken nature, likely makes him an easy target for critics
« I don’t think accepting to lose is a good thing, but maybe not being so hard on the players is a good thing
« I love what I can get out of sport A lot of young kids are watching me now, and I can give back, but sometimes tennis is a shit sport It’s so frustrating
« You have to be incredibly patient and lose that sucks, and you lose a lot in tennis, but there are times when I love grind, I love to train, I love to play but there are times. times when I hate «
Kyrgios said the 2014 Wimbledon victory over Rafael Nadal put him in the spotlight he just wasn’t ready for at such a young age
« After Wimbledon, when I beat Nadal, everything changed There were people camping out in front of my house for two weeks when I got home, following me when I went to the mall, so I was not really ready for the dramatic changes I was going through «
Although Kyrgios seems more opinionated than ever, there is plenty of evidence of a growing sense of maturity in the 25-year-old.
The Australian does a lot of charitable work around his NK foundation, which helps provide sports facilities for underprivileged and disadvantaged young people
He has also been one of the sport’s most ardent advocates for safe coronavirus practices, often attacking his peers for failing to follow protocols
His mother is certainly of the opinion that over time the Australian star has every chance to shake up his image of « bad boy »
« It takes a lot of work to try to do right, and one small mistake will take you many steps backwards
« It’s always like that, but it’s our way for now, so we embrace it »
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Nick Kyrgios, Tennis, Rafael Nadal
World News – UA – « Not easy to see »: Nick Kyrgios’ claims about « colorful » tennis players
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
