Some very strange things happened in 2020, and for me, from a sporting sense, right at the top of the list was Nick Kyrgios emerging as a pillar for social conscience in this country.
There’s no doubt Nick has improved upon his battered image after his charitable work in the early parts of 2020 to support those affected by the Australian bushfire crisis.
He continued to enhance his brand last year by calling out those who appeared not to be taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously.
But he took it too far this week.
On Monday, whilst world number one Novak Djokovic was on his hotel balcony in Adelaide cheering on some tennis-mad kids who had set up a makeshift tennis court down below, Kyrgios took to Twitter and labelled Djokovic a "tool".
It was in response to Novak’s long list of requests for his fellow competitors who are quarantining in Melbourne ahead of next month’s Australian Open.
Most of you loved it, Kyrgios was lauded, the tweet was retweeted over 3,000 times and liked by over 20 thousand users.
I wasn’t one of them.
Where does Kyrgios get off labelling Djokovic, perhaps the greatest tennis player to ever walk the earth, a tool?
This is the same Nick Kyrgios who has a list of on-court indiscretions longer than John McEnroe.
The same Kyrgios that was fined $166,000 in an on-court meltdown at the Cincinnati Masters where he smashed multiple rackets, called the umpire a "f---ing tool, spat in the direction of the umpire and refused to shake his opponent’s hand all because he wasn’t happy with the countdown clock.
The same Kyrgios that sledged Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka’s girlfriend, the same guy that called the ATP corrupt, the same player who has been fined for tanking, giving up, not trying, the same guy that has criticised Aussie hero and Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt and the same Kyrgios that repeatedly speaks of not enjoying the sport.
It’s not the first time Kyrgios has let fly at Novak either, in fact it’s becoming extremely common.
“I just feel like he has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked. He just wants to be like Roger (Federer). For me personally — I don’t care right now, I’ve come this far — I feel like he just wants to be liked so much that I just can’t stand him,” he once said on the No Challenges Remaining podcast.
At one point in 2019, he even drew a big cross on a fan’s shirt emblazoned with ‘Novak’ and posted the video on his Instagram account.
After Djokovic’s US Open default for recklessly hitting a line judge, Kyrgios posted a Twitter poll wondering whether he’d be banned for five, 10 or 20 years in similar circumstances.
Sure, it wasn’t an ideal year for Novak. His disqualification from the US Open was ugly and organising and participating in the ill-fated Adria Tour charity tournament in June that led to the world number one and a number of other pros testing positive for coronavirus was dangerous.
However, over the course of an 18-year career he has been an outstanding ambassador, a champion for the sport of tennis. He gives it everything every time he walks onto a tennis court.
He already has 17 Grand Slam titles to his name, just three shy of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer with 20. He’ll eclipse both before he retires.
Kyrgios, despite the obvious talent, has two quarter final appearances to his name. But he’s good at video games and on he’s outspoken on Twitter.
I urge you not to get sucked in by the improved public position Kyrgios has at times taken in 2020, for it was a year that he hardly stepped onto a court.
History tells us that when things get tight in the fourth set of the third round at the Australian Open, Kyrgios will let you down.
He might abuse those closest to him in his player box, it would not surprise me if he flat out gives up.
I guarantee you, Djokovic will not.