Can We Stop Splitting Nick Kyrgios At 2022 US Open?

Now that he’s scored an improbable ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2022 US Open by beating world number one Daniil Medvedev, it’s time to start thinking about Nick Kyrgios with a little more subtlety, complexity and nuance.

If you think you’ve made up your mind, I challenge you to loosen up those opinions and give this a little more thought. In many ways, this article is really more about you than him. Ask yourself about your beliefs in a human capacity for change.

It’s not one or the other with Nick Kyrgios. Both can be true.

There’s a phenomenon in psychology called splitting, where a person decides another person is either “good” or “bad”– no in between. He’s “evil” or he’s an “angel.” Many tennis fans have poured the concrete of their minds about this guy, and it’s become hard for them to see the human being with both flaws and attributes. Kyrgios has made some positive changes in himself while still exhibiting some bad antics.

This 2022 U.S. Open, I chatted with a Kyrgios friend who sits in the famed player box. If you’ve ever watched a Kyrgios match on TV, you know the place. It’s that crazy section of seats where Nick’s entourage is blamed, torched and verbally abused by the fiery Australian when things aren’t going well.

During his match with Medvedev, even the Russian started complaining to the chair umpire that the Kyrgios box was too loud. It’s a tough job sitting there. They get it from all ends.

But this member of Nick’s entourage told me an interesting anecdote. In the first round, Kyrgios drew (unluckily for him) his good friend, doubles partner and fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis. Having to play one of your best friends isn’t easy. When Kyrgios’s box started clapping for Nick after he won a point, he yelled at them to pipe down. The very people who are always castigated for not showing enough support were being told to stop showing support at all. In a sign of loyalty, Kyrgios…