Mexican Open: Nick Kyrgios’ headline-grabbing show earns him another title along with renewed respect of tennis world

When you’re watching a match involving Nick Kyrgios, two things dominate the discussion more than any other: talent, and mental strength. He follows a blazing forehand by feathering a delicate drop shot winner, and everyone goes, “Look at that man’s talent!” Then he makes three double faults in a row and we all bemoan, “Will this chump ever have the mental strength of a champion?” [caption id=“attachment_6187861” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Nick Kyrgios celebrates winning the Mexican Open. Reuters/Henry Romero[/caption] It is debatable whether Kyrgios’ lack of consistent success is down to mental frailties, or inadequate physical conditioning, or a combination of both. But what is not debatable anymore is his credibility as a champion; he is now a five-time title winner. By defeating Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the Acapulco final on Saturday, Kyrgios has proven yet again that when he’s on his game, he’s capable of defeating anyone. ‘Anyone’ including players of the ilk of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the last of whom he defeated in a barn-burning second round match this week. That Kyrgios likes facing off against the best is no new revelation. Even before this week, his combined W/L record against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic was 5-6, and his record against players ranked in the top 2 was 5-4. That’s a man born for a challenge if ever there was one. But we did need a bit of a reminder about Kyrgios’ giant-killing abilities because his 2018 was a trainwreck even by his standards. After a bright start to the year, where he won the title in Brisbane and went down fighting to Grigor Dimitrov at the Australian Open, Kyrgios seemed to have let his focus recede even lower than what it already was. Injuries coupled with listless losses to the likes of Cameron Norrie, Bradley Klahn and Mirza Basic saw his ranking plummet outside the top 50. And this time he didn’t even have any redeeming wins against the top players to keep him still relevant. A surprisingly vulnerable admission about his mental health issues at the end of 2018 seemed like the dawn of a new beginning, but when 2019 began he was back to his old disinterested self. Just last week he was seen losing to Radu Albot, and not many expected much of him when Acapulco rolled around. But we should have probably known better after looking at the draw of the tournament. Kyrgios was slated to face Nadal in just his second match of the week, which could only mean one thing: fireworks. The biggest doubt should always have been whether Kyrgios would get past his first round opponent Andreas Seppi or not; once he did manage that, the possibilities were limitless. And so it turned out to be. For the first time in months, Kyrgios was given an early challenge, and an opportunity to pull the rug from under a dominant player’s feet – and that too while the whole world was watching. So he predictably grabbed the opportunity and the spotlight with both hands, in a way that only he can. With nothing left to lose after dropping the first set to Nadal, Kyrgios proceeded to bring out his best and most jaw-dropping tennis for the next 10 sets. He went from saving three match points against Nadal to subduing Stan Wawrinka on one leg, outmuscling John Isner with one shot (the serve), and outsmarting Zverev with one trick (the drop shot). Kyrgios’ draw was littered with champions of all shapes and sizes, but the difficulty of the proposition only seemed to sharpen his focus and make him more determined than ever to get the win. Sure, even this period of high-flying brilliance was dotted with typically Kyrgios-esque moments of cringe. His under-arm serve and general antics against Nadal prompted the now-famous “he lacks respect for the crowd, his opponent and towards himself” line from the Spaniard. His screaming at Wawrinka after every point of the penultimate game in the second set earned him a reprimand from the chair umpire and a look of absolute loathing from the Swiss. And his tendency to keep getting under the skin of his popular opponents elicited an almost constant stream of boos from the crowd. But when a 72nd-ranked player is asked to defeat four crowd favourite opponents who are also much more accomplished than him, it’s bound to create a bit of theatre. Moreover, Kyrgios’ talent screams the loudest when the odds are the toughest, and when the whole world is seemingly against him. He admitted as much after his win over Wawrinka, saying, “I actually play better when the crowd is against me and giving me a bit of stink. I love it. It gets me going.” It sure got him going this week. And whether you approved of his play and antics or not, he certainly gave us popcorn entertainment of the highest order, bringing the sport of tennis into the mainstream consciousness yet again. The Kyrgios Show this week may have resembled a circus at times, but it was an eminently watchable, conversation-worthy circus. Would any of it have been possible without the tangible improvements he’s made to his game though?

This may have slipped under the radar, but Kyrgios’ backhand doesn’t look like a weakness anymore. It was constantly targeted by all of his opponents this week and yet it never broke down. If anything, in addition to holding his own from that wing, Kyrgios was also able to generate some sharp angles off it to either hit outright winners or set up his atomic forehand for putaways. He also showed a great focus from one point to the next throughout his five matches, which is not something that we’re used to seeing from him. Even through all his screams and shenanigans, he refused to let his tennis suffer; by continuing to bring the heat with his serve and forehand no matter what the situation, he ensured that the question of ‘mental strength’ was cast aside — at least momentarily. The improved backhand, along with the renewed focus, made the Aussie a more irresistible force this week than he has ever been. He looked so dominant on serve and in the rallies against Zverev that it made everyone go back to that tired question: if Kyrgios is playing his best, is there any counter to his unique combination of power and touch? It’s a question that, if Kyrgios asks it of himself, might produce something even more special than a win at a high-quality ATP 500 tournament. But that’s a discussion for another day. For now, Kyrgios can revel in the fact that he’s relevant again and has the respect of the tennis world again. He can swap his sombrero for a party hat and celebrate deep into the night, because he’s earned it – one dramatic episode at a time. And he can earn it again too. Just pit him against Nadal or Djokovic or Federer in the first round of a tournament and watch the madness unfold.