I’m a big fan of Nick Kyrgios. I wish he were competing in this tournament, stirring up trouble and surprising everyone – especially the tennis toffs – with his antics.
But without Kyrgios and the media circus that tends to envelop him, other players have had chance to shine a little brighter. Likewise, it has been a relief to be rid of COVID discourse and the Novak Djokovic visa saga that hung over last year’s Open like a bad smell.
The Australian Open is not quite the same without Nick Kyrgios. Credit:Getty Images
Altogether, it has meant that tennis has been the focus in the first week of this tournament, and that’s welcome. Even the controversies – the slower “fluffed up” balls and scheduling nightmares – have been largely on-court matters, rather than steeped in politics or culture wars.
Sydneysider Alexei Popyrin has won hearts – and no doubt a legion of new admirers – with back-to-back, five-set victories, including a big upset over American No. 8 seed Taylor Fritz on Thursday. A class act from go to whoa, this tournament has been a massively successful showing for the 23-year-old, no matter what happens in round three.
The quiet persistence of Alex de Minaur, who at No. 22 is currently ranked only three spots behind Kyrgios, always stands in stark contrast to the flashy Kyrgios roadshow. He ground out a four-set win over Frenchman Adrian Mannarino shortly after Popyrin’s big win, cementing a stellar second round for the Australian men.
Thanasi Kokkanakis, who has played second fiddle to Kyrgios as the other half of the Special Ks doubles duo, had his star turn against Andy Murray on Thursday night too – even if he couldn’t quite nab the win in the end.
The match has rightly been praised as an all-time Australian Open classic, and while it was not devoid of some (justifiable) on-court shenanigans over toilet breaks and time violations, the game was noteworthy for the quality and intensity of the tennis – not the players’ antics.
So, the notion that Kyrgios’ regrettable, injury-induced absence from his home slam was a body blow for the tournament was fleeting and, as it transpires, wrong. There is great depth to the Australian men’s contingent, and the calmer air only made that clearer.
Nor can it be said that the experience is any lesser for the fans. Crowds have flocked to the Open, especially after dark. Every night this week has broken the corresponding attendance record: Thursday night’s 34,272 punters smashed the previous record for a first Thursday night of 29,055, set in 2016. And Thursday’s total day/night attendance broke through the 80,000 barrier; a record for a first Thursday.
Inside the arenas, the atmosphere is just as good (if not better) without the “siuuuuu” chants that some of Kyrgios’ opponents found so off-putting last year. The Aussie fans are still loud. We probably have Kyrgios to thank for injecting crowds with a bit of boisterous oomph, which is now paying off in terms of support for our rising stars.
Perhaps this year’s Open has also added some ballast to the adage that sport and politics don’t mix. In reality, they often do, but ask almost any punter wandering around Melbourne Park about vaccine mandates or Djokovic or even the Russian flag, and you’ll likely be told in no uncertain terms: stick to the tennis, mate.
Tennis Australia took swift action after a few fans displayed a Russian flag at a first round match between Russian and Ukrainian players, upsetting the Ukrainian spectators and angering the country’s ambassador. Organisers banned any display of the Russian and Belarusian flags on site, and while unpopular with the Russian embassy, it generally hasn’t caused any ructions since.
Later this year, the men’s tennis tour will return to China for the first time since 2019. The women’s tennis association, however, wants to meet with Chinese player Peng Shuai before resuming the China leg of the tour. Shuai disappeared in November 2021 after accusing China’s former vice premier of sexual assault. She was seen at the February 2022 Winter Olympics and, in tightly controlled interviews, said her previous accusation was a misunderstanding.
Activists have once again rocked up to Melbourne Park wearing “Where is Peng Shuai?” T-shirts, and one – Drew Pavlou – posted footage of activists asking Chinese players about Shuai’s disappearance. But players have not come under any sustained pressure to say whether the women’s tour (or men’s, for that matter) should return to China.
Sport may not need politics and tennis may not need Kyrgios, but they remain intrinsically linked. For now, though, it’s good to see some excellent tennis shine.
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