Handing Nick Kyrgios an eight-week ban following his controversial Shanghai performance isn’t the best way to address the issue, according to 17-time grand slam champion Roger Federer.
The Australian is currently suspended from playing on the tour until January 15th, 2017 after displaying a lack of sportsmanship against Mischa Zverev in the second round of the Shanghai Masters. The world No.13, who won the Tokyo Open a week before, argued with members of the crowd and appeared uninterested in the match. He was also hit with a $25,000 fine.
This player comes from outer space 👽👽 #Kyrgios #ShanghaiMasters (GIF @doublefault28) pic.twitter.com/DFe0JRGGcN
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) 12 October 2016
Kyrgios’ suspension is one thing that has sparked the attention of Federer, who lost to the Australian at the 2015 Madrid Masters in their only meeting on the tour. Reflecting on the incident, the 35-year-old has described the situation as ‘simply unhappy’ during an interview with Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger. There is no debate when it comes to the behaviour displayed by Kyrgios, but Federer has his own theory about what exactly happened during that infamous match as he expressed a sceptical view about the punishment given to his younger rival from the ATP.
“Whether this punishment is appropriate or not, I can not judge.” Federer said. “Maybe he got tired after winning the Tokyo tournament in the previous week. Then he stood on the court and wondered: What am I doing? And just wanted to leave, but he couldn’t. He felt trapped, switches to Blocked mode, lost the desire and the urge to give his best performance.”
Tour veteran Federer, who currently has 88 titles to his name, has offered his own advice to the controversial, but talented Kyrgios. In light of his recent behaviour on the tour both this year and last, the Swiss player believes that Kyrgios needs to work harder to earn respect from others.
“He can not only play well when he wants to. There is also the respect for the tour. He must make this step. How to punish him is another question.” He said.
The words of Federer might be something taken into account by the 21-year-old, who has previously labelled the Swiss player as one of his role models. Speaking with the media in September 2015, Kyrgios described Federer as ‘one of the greatest players of all-time’.
“I remember watching him play,” Kyrgios told reporters at 2015 Malaysian Open. “I still watch him a lot when I’m in my room doing nothing. I would just go on YouTube and watch him. I think he’s the greatest of all-time. “He’s the one role model I have—off the court as well—because of the way he carries himself, helping people.”
Federer’s somewhat gentle viewpoint concerning Kyrgios is one that is not shared by compatriot Marc Rosset. 45-year-old Rosset, who reached a high of world No.9 in 1995, has accused the ATP of being too soft and has argued that the ban will do nothing. The 1995 French Open semifinalist believed a suspension from next year’s Australian Open would have been a better tactic used by the ATP.
“If the ATP wanted to do something, it would have had to lock him out of the Australian Open, only that would have hit him really,” Rosset said. “He has everything he wants: money, fame, sponsors. They all run after him. Why should he change? He would not do that until he was ‘right in the shit’.”
Despite the controversy surrounding him, Kyrgios is on course to end the year inside the top 20 for the first time in his career. This season the 21-year-old has won titles in Marseille, Atlanta and Tokyo.
