Julianah Foster was not only his biggest supporter, but also his greatest source of motivation and Kyrgios openly admits he lost his way in the years following her death.
It’s clear that the Aussie star, regularly dubbed ‘the bad boy of tennis,’ hasn’t always enjoyed his time in the sport, but an enforced hiatus for much of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic has allowed him to recharge and gain a new perspective.
For the first time since stepping foot onto the professional circuit, Kyrgios was able to spend a prolonged period of time at home with his family and, in his words, “didn’t touch a tennis racket for almost four months.” It allowed him to regain some family time he sometimes felt tennis had stolen from him.
The 25-year-old’s prodigious talent has never been in question — he’s without doubt one of the most naturally gifted players on the tour — but it’s more often been his on-court antics that attract headlines.
His behavior on court came under renewed scrutiny again this week, beginning on Wednesday when Kyrgios took umbrage with a questionable time violation call from a twitchy umpire during the Murray River Open, a warm up event ahead of the Australian Open.
Kyrgios had been something of a reformed figure following a much-needed break from tennis in 2020, being outspoken on the questionable behavior from some of the sport’s stars during the pandemic, but it’s clear he remains plagued by the hot-headedness that has come to define much of his career.
He now says there is a “massive question mark” about his participation in the Australian Open as he battles a long-term knee issue and struggles to mentally prepare following a period of isolation.
Read the full article at rss.cnn.com
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