There have been some strange happenings in Australian tennis recently, and for once Bernard Tomic is not involved.
In August came the news of Brad Mousley’s one-year suspension for taking Ecstasy. One of Australia’s promising youngsters and the reigning Australian Open junior boys’ doubles champion, he tested positive in March after admitting to taking the drug at a party.
Earlier this month, Australia's most talented young female tennis player, Ashleigh Barty, decided to take an indefinite break from the game.
The 18-year-old Queenslander, winner of the junior Wimbledon title in 2011, took the decision following a first-round exit at the US Open – her seventh defeat in nine grand slam main-draw matches since 2012.
“Obviously, this has been a very difficult decision with the Australian summer coming up, but after a lot of thought we feel this is the right decision,” Barty said in a statement, without elaborating.
Later, Nick Kyrgios, one of the brightest young talents in men's tennis, called an end to his season, pulling out of the remaining three events on his 2014 schedule – Tokyo, Stockholm, and Vienna.
“I’ve pulled out because I’m emotionally spent. I’m a bit gone and burnt out,” Kyrgios said at his final event of the year, in Malaysia, where he lost in the first round to countryman Marinko Matosevic.
“Physically I’ve probably only got enough left for one more tournament, and mentally I’m a bit worn out. So I am looking forward to the break.”
Most fans were surprised by those statements. Kyrgios is 19 and has played only 19 matches on the tour this season, and only nine, including two Davis Cup rubbers, since he grabbed the spotlight with his win over Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. If qualifying and Challenger Tour matches are included, Kyrgios has played 41 matches in 2014.
Roger Federer, who is 33, has played 66 matches this season. In 2001, when the Swiss was 19 and came into the spotlight with his win over Pete Sampras at Wimbledon, he played 70 matches on the ATP Tour.
So Kyrgios’s decision is a bit puzzling. Clearly, the time he has spent on a tennis court does not seem to be the reason for the “burn out”. The sudden stardom, and the burden of expectations that come with it, might be the cause.
You could sense that when he spoke of the attention around the new US Open junior boys’ singles and doubles champion, Australian 17-year-old Omar Jasika.
“People are bombarding him straight away and, personally, I’m still going through it as well … It doesn’t help in any way, with the hype,” Kyrgios said.
“Right now, he probably doesn’t need that stuff. I’ve had patches where it has affected my tennis. It can be draining.”
Both Jasika and Kyrgios will have to learn to cope with the glare. There can be no escape.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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