It is truly remarkable to see the buffet of scandals, shenanigans and PR disasters coming out of all sports during the pandemic, but specifically from tennis. Tennis’s rap is that they’re more elite, that the “brand” of tennis attracts sponsors like Rolex, Porsche, Mercedes, Evian, etc. That’s what it’s all about: elitism, money, branding, and appealing to the college-educated sports consumer/fanbase. But the shenanigans during the pandemic have pulled the veil – these (male) players are complete dumbasses. Sure, they can play tennis really well, but they’re complete idiots in life. Novak Djokovic might be one of the greatest players of all time, but he was still too stupid to A) understand how vaccines work and B) organize an exhibition tour with any kind of public-health precautions in the middle of a pandemic.
Following the Adria Tour debacle, all of the (male) tennis players involved got tested and they swore up and down that they would isolate. Sascha Zverev tested negative but claimed he would isolate for 14 days. He lied. He was in the South of France, partying in a huge group over the weekend. He still hasn’t apologized or issued any kind of statement about his lies. His former friend Nick Kyrgios (an Australian player) recorded a video dissing Zverev:
Here’s the @NickKyrgios response so many of y’all were clamoring for. I think he delivered.
But to me the silence of the other 100+ ATP players is far louder and more telling. pic.twitter.com/guj2JjRZuS
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 29, 2020
People are uncomfortably reconciling themselves with the fact that Nick Kyrgios – who is absolutely problematic – is somehow the voice of reason during the pandemic. Kyrgios has been consistently critical of tennis players not taking the pandemic seriously, and he’s been putting players on blast for weeks now. He’s been right. He’s still right. Well, now Boris Becker – a Hall of Famer who coached Djokovic for several years – is chiming in. Becker basically said that Nick shouldn’t speak against the tennis bros publicly, and Nick is like “wtf.”
Rats? For holding someone accountable? Strange way to think of it champion, I’m just looking out for people. WHEN my family and families all over the world have respectfully done the right thing. And you have a goose waving his arms around, imma say something.
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 30, 2020
Absolutely but do it private… https://t.co/XdXAsgDcRY
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) June 30, 2020
@TheBorisBecker is a bigger doughnut than I thought. 😂😂 can hit a volley, obviously not the sharpest tool in the shed though.
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 30, 2020
There is an unspoken understanding between athletes! Whatever happens on the court stays there including the lockers! Nobody will talk about it … #respect #sport #fellowship
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) June 30, 2020
Why are you now talking about tennis? It has nothing to do with tennis? How about the dude who you are defending mans up and gives us some sort of explanation? Not another average management apology.
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 30, 2020
This is all a mess and I can’t believe Boris actually tagged FarFetch, which is an online designer boutique. Boris is broke-ass, so he was diss-tweeting Nick AND getting paid, I guess. I mean, again, toxic masculinity rears its ugly head. The argument that one tennis bro can’t be publicly critical of other tennis bros is… not a good argument. Especially when those tennis bros are behaving irresponsibly during a pandemic. This isn’t like Nick mocked a player on Twitter for what amounted to a locker room beef (although he’s done that before). This is Nick becoming a voice of reason as his fellow players show their asses and hurt the sport on a global scale.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red.
Sit down, Boris.
The irony of him publicly calling out Nick for …. publicly calling out people is too much.
I can’t with protecting the feelings of those who won’t protect others from serious disease.
Speaking of ironies, “how selfish can you get?” Asks the guy who is filming himself while driving!
What is it with certain sports looking down on others for making things public? In my country its rugby, whenever a rugby player does something ilegal (theres been plenty) every player comes out and speaks as if the press was trying to harm the sport.
The Bro Code is alive and well, then. Shut yer gob, Boris. Team Kyrgios.
Boris is a dope. Always has been.
I live in Germany where we are much more exposed to his stupidity than the rest of the world – this wanker doesn’t own two brain cells to rub together. I wouldn’t pay any attention to this has-been.
Yep, Bobbele should just disappear.
Yes! I am mixed race and almost his age. I worked in PR at VIP events in the 90s and Noughts when he got divorced and had the broom closet baby – my German mom would make me promise religiously every now and then to run away as fast as possible whenever I saw him. He is full of it.
This is kind of off subject, but I read Andre Agassi’s autobiography called Open a few years back (and it’s seriously an excellent read!) and I remember him saying how Boris was a complete a-hole. He really hated the guy, haha!
Yes, Agassi has always been a decent guy, he must have smelled the rotten from afar.
I don’t even follow tennis. But I’ll be watching Nick in the future. Also if he’s known to be problematic, maybe this has put life into perspective more for him.
But these pop up ads covering the comment section while I type are distracting. Ugh. Not a fan.
Whatever happens on the court stays there? Sure that’s all well and good but unfortunately Covid doesn’t follow those rules…
I really didn’t get his what happens on the court & it extending to the locker rooms comment. This wasn’t something that happened on the court or in the locker rooms
I think what BB meant to say was, what happens in the broom cupboard, stays in the broom cupboard…
When Nick Kyrgios is the voice of reason… what a time to be alive
could it be that the bushfires and his actions to raise funds led him to grow up?
Woooh, they are showing up their stupid venal selves!! Boris Becker epitomises toxic masculinity. A perfect example of the bro-code/sport team-before
-integrity & legality. It’s why things like sexual assault in sport is protected because stupid arse-patriarchy is just ‘bros rule’ and hiding behind toxic manfandom, PR and lawyers. And this time its about a freaking pandemic!
I’ve always enjoyed the way Nick rubs people up the wrong way and now he’s evolved into the voice of reason. At least you know he’s sincere because he DGAF about what people think.
1. This didn’t just happen on the court, it literally impacts the entire world.
2, The real rats here are the ones scurrying around on an ill-advised tennis tour, spreading an actual plague.
STFU Boris.
When I read the headline I stupidly thought this was going to be about him calling Novak and his dad for their bs blaming everyone under the sun but themselves…other tennis players.
Somehow Novak’s dad is making Roger’s retirement plans.
But no it’s about this? Uggg I can’t believe I am pro Kyrigos (sp?)
Shit should stay on the courts, but I’m going to talk. Publicly. About other players.
Nick calling Sascha an arm waving goose is the highlight of this exchange. Lol. F *ck off Boris.
Another idiot.
Tennis is probably one of the few sports that could have started up again – no contact, outdoors, safe distance apart, they could have played without an audience, and still sold TV rights, sponsorships, etc. And they still managed to mess it up.
also boris what do you mean by this?
‘He would be an incredible role model for for the youth of the world addressing the issues of equality/race/heritage! ‘
@Elle He didn’t even consider the optics of an entitled white man publicly attempting to silence a POC. Gross. I hope his multi-racial children give him a stern talking to about gaslighting and the effects of white supremacy, even from people in interracial relationships.
This is hilarious.
Someone has watched the Godfather too many times.
It isn’t a gangster family, Boris – it’s a professional sport where people interact with other people and when that happens in the middle of a pandemic, people get ill and can die. People who lie about staying safe and/or willfully lie about it deserve to be named and shamed because they’re as awful as the people who dismiss it outright.
Interesting look into the world of athletics.
Protect each other, don’t talk about what happens in locker rooms…
Isn’t that how Sandusky got away with child abuse?
They really believe that shit. Like the police: protect and cover for each other, at all cost.
You don’t and you’re the bad person.
We don’t need social reform. We need to burn it all down.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone called a doughnut as an insult before. LOL!
Which is worse…donut or donut hole? Or possibly just doing nuts. These are philosophical questions that need exploring.
So he’s saying that tennis players should not call out other players in public. But it’s ok for him to call out Nick in public? Hmmm…ok. Hypocrite much, Boris?
There is so much wrong with Boris’ stance here, I don’t know where to start.
So, instead, I’ll just keep it simple. Boris, you’re an asshole.
Go Nick.
How did I not know tennis was so dramatic? My goodness these folks sound like they are in a Godfather movie. “Remember the code…”
Thank you for the Boris tea Kaiser! The replies are a riot.