Nick Kyrgios: 'The Bad Boy' of Tennis

Known as 'The Bad Boy of Tennis', Nick Kyrgios is regarded as the biggest marmite figure in the sport, known for his eye-catching displays and his ferocious tantrums on the court.

But where did all this come from? Let's look through is highs and lows in one of tennis's most turbulent individual careers.

Kyrgios burst onto the scene in 2014 at the Wimbledon Open as a young 19-year-old kid after receiving a wild card invitation.

The 2014 Wimbledon Open is where the world would get to know the young Aussie after beating all-time great Rafael Nadal in the fourth round to become the first male debutant to reach the quarter-final.

Since defeating Nadal in 2014, Kyrgios recently opened up on his struggles to cope with the media attention after the outstanding victory.

In the recent Netflix documentary 'Break Point' Kyrgios' mum, Norlaila said, "he just became really aggressive, and he was always angry at something."

Despite the pressure and build-up of anger, the Australian player has wowed fans and former players with his freakish ability on the court.

According to scmp.com, the original 'Bad Boy' of tennis and former Grand Slam champ John McEnroe said, "he's the most talented player I've seen in the last ten years!"

Since his meteoric rise to stardom in 2014, the 'Bad Boy' has had some great success on the court, winning seven singles tournaments, including the Washington Open in 2019 and 2022.

The biggest and only Grand Slam win yet in Kyrgios' career is the Australian Open Doubles Championship with long-time friend Thanasi Kokkinakis. Since then, he reached the Wimbledon Singles Final but lost to Novak Djokovic.

With the pressure and constant scrutiny that comes with being Nick Kyrgios, the tennis player does things a little differently from other players on tour.

According to skysports.com, Kyrgios said, "I just had to be kinder to myself, for my mental health. I could never be a player that played all year round. I couldn't do that."

According to scmp.com, the Australian is the most fined player in tennis history, racking up nearly $1 million worth of fines in his career.

According to express.co.uk, the player was fined around $10,000 for spitting at two fans after a win against Paul Jubb, and a $160,000 fine for verbally assaulting an umpire and smashing two rackets, which is the largest individual fine in tennis history.

"All the fines that I get fined go to charity. That's for everyone. So, every time we get fined, they're like it's going to charity. I was like, 'I don't know why you would tell me that" said Kyrgios, according to express.co.uk.

Away from the controversy that surrounds him on the court, according to inews.co.uk, Kyrgios still awaits his court trial on the third of February for a common assault charge against his former girlfriend Chiari Passari in late 2021.

According to inews.co.uk, his lawyers have said they have the motion to get the case dismissed due to mental health issues Kyrgios was going through at the time of the assault.

Kyrgios announced on his Instagram that he had to pull out of the 2023 Australian Open with a slight tear in the meniscus of his left knee.

The injury unfortunately means the 47 years wait for a homegrown player to win the Australian Open continues till next year.