At Wimbledon, Nick Kyrgios played up to his image as one of tennis’ bad boys
At Wimbledon, Nick Kyrgios played up to his image as one of tennis’ bad boys, but Nick Kyrgios is only the latest in a long series of contentious figures.
The Australian, who will face Novak Djokovic in the men’s final on Sunday, has created a name for himself at the All England Club this year by spitting in the direction of spectators and demanding for third-round opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas to be disqualified.
AFP Sport looks at other players who have ruffled the establishment’s feathers.
John McEnroe
John McEnroe, dubbed “Superbrat” by the British press, is the poster boy for bad behavior on the court, marked by his emotional outbursts as much as his spectacular skill.
When questioning umpires’ decisions, the American seven-time Grand Slam champion, who is now a TV analyst, became famed for his “You cannot be serious” argument.
One of his most famous outbursts occurred at the Australian Open in 1990.
In his match against Mikael Pernfors of Sweden, he was cautioned for intimidating a line judge and penalized a point for shattering a racquet before being defaulted for cursing.
Jeff Tarango
Jeff Tarango, who never rated higher than 42 in the world, was known more for his outlandish behavior than for his tennis.
Tarango disputed with chair umpire Bruno Rebeuh many times during a third-round match at Wimbledon in 1995.
Rebeuh issued him a code violation for urging the audience to “shut up,” stating it was an audible vulgarity.
Tarango called Rebeuh “corrupt” and refused to play until the supervisor arrived.
He was finally defaulted, but the drama was not over until Tarango’s wife hit Rebeuh across the face.
Lie Nastase
During his tumultuous career, Ilie “Nasty” Nastase, the flamboyant former world number one, was often reprimanded for poor behavior.
The Romanian was even featured in a 1972 Sports Illustrated cover story titled “Bad is Beautiful.”
In his quarter-final match against Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon in 1977, he slammed umpire Jeremy Shales, stating, “You don’t call me ‘Nastase,’ you call me ‘Mr Nastase.'”
At the US Open two years later, a match between Nastase and a youthful McEnroe devolved into mayhem.
The boisterous Romanian was dismissed for his antics, which included flicking a net-cord judge’s helmet and lingering too long between points.
Officials took the unusual step of continuing the play after the audience erupted, hurling items onto the court, but McEnroe won in four sets.
Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, earned a name for himself as a boisterous, aggressive player.
The ultra-competitive American, who won a record 109 men’s tour titles, frequently fought with referees and was known for his poor behavior on the court.
He was booed when he walked out to play the next day after refusing to take part in a parade of previous winners to commemorate Wimbledon’s centennial.
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