Retired Aussie tennis star Sam Groth says Nick Kyrgios has lost credibility with latest explosion

Retired star Sam Groth knows Nick Kyrgios better than most. And after the Aussie firebrand’s latest on-court explosion, Groth writes Kyrgios’ actions, while not right, don’t mean he should be banned.

Nick Kyrgios in action against Casper Rudd. Pic: Getty Images

• FEDERER DEFENDS KYRGIOS’ TANTRUM
• SURPRISE: KYRGIOS GOES UNDERARM IN ROME
• SPRAY: NICK BLASTS ‘CRINGEWORTHY’ GREATS

I have spent a lot of time defending Nick Kyrgios over the years. I get asked about him on a daily basis and am always open and honest about the fact there are two very different people in the Nick we see on court and the person off it.

What happened on court in Rome however I can’t defend; coming off the back of one of the most candid interviews you’ve ever given — which included tearing shreds off some of the biggest names in the sport — and then behaving like he did? It was probably the worst thing he could have done.

I don’t think I’d ever heard such an honest and open discussion from Nick and I loved that he gave us one. Referring to the likes of Novak Djokovic as “cringe worthy” and saying Rafa Nadal was “salty and lacking respect” was a ballsy move. But then less than 24 hours later his credibility was totally shot.

Nick Kyrgios after flinging a chair across the court.

What he did with the chair and the way he behaved towards the umpire wasn’t right — it was bad, really bad — and if you asked him he would say the same thing.

Something snapped and he lost it. Of course we can’t excuse this one but does it make him a bad guy? I don’t think so. He misbehaved on court which makes him an idiot but it doesn’t mean he won’t continue to do all the good things he does off court.

We have all done things we regret when playing — if you search my name on YouTube there would be meltdown videos. Same goes for the big name players like Federer and Nadal. No one is perfect but when it comes to Nick the world seems to have a closer eye on him than any other player.

He makes headlines for racquet smashes on the same day 10 others do the exact same thing or worse. We actively wait for him to blow up.

It’s a little unfair.

And now we have the debate of whether his actions warrant a ban.

I hope he is not banned. I don’t think the ATP suspending him for this is going to solve anything, in fact I think it will be counter-productive.

Perhaps he needs a break — only he knows that — but if it’s not on his own terms it could do more damage than good.

Sam Groth (left) is a former Davis Cup teammate of Nick Kyrgios. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

He’s been fined a huge sum of money and will lose ranking points. That’s significant in itself because it could mean the difference between seeding at the French Open or not and beyond that could jeopardise his entry to other major events.

Nick threw a chair — don’t get me wrong it’s bad — but he didn’t hurt anyone. If Denis Shapovalov can avoid a ban for hitting an umpire in the face with a ball then how can you ban Nick?

In the locker room players will see what he did in Rome, they will watch the video and then forget it. What he said in the podcast will be spoken about for longer than this incident without a doubt.

Forcing him out is not the solution. He will sit there wallowing over it. A ban is not going to solve whatever problems are going on with Nick.

We all speculate about what is going on behind closed doors with Nick as he’s referenced “dark days” on numerous occasions. Whether he is seeking help or not is a fair question but when it comes to mental health we have to be sensitive. He has spoken publicly to a degree so we can only hope he is getting whatever he needs.

Kyrgios argues with tournament umpire Gerry Armstrong in the lead-up to his default against Casper Ruud in Rome. Pic: Getty Images

On the flip side this incident in Rome might not mean all that much to Nick. He’s apologised and maybe that’s it for him and he’s moved on.

At the end of the day the ATP haven’t banned Nick so maybe he hasn’t broken the rules to the degree the general public thinks he has. Would we call for a ban if this was another player?

What Nick needs to do is think hard about what it is he wants from tennis and what he thinks he can get. He says he doesn’t like the sport but I don’t buy it. I think it’s a defence mechanism.

He’s been subjected to this level of scrutiny since he was 19 — but you can forgive a teenager for a lot more than when you’re 24 years-old. People are finding it harder and harder to get behind Nick and on court he’s doing little to change that. He needs to decide if that’s the way he wants it to continue.

Only Nick knows if a break will benefit him or if he needs a coach. Only he can decide what kind of persona he wants to take out on court with him and how much he can handle from the crowds.

Only he can control what his legacy in the sport will be.

If he called it quits tomorrow he’d be forever remembered as the tantrum kid that never reached his full potential. If he played five more years who knows?

And therein lies the only guarantee with Nick Kyrgios, he will forever be the great unknown. Just when you think he’s getting his sh-t together, it blows up.