Wannabe Wankers! Tool School for Aussie Tennis stars

16:9. Tennis Bad Boys

Kyrgios, to his credit, has apologised for his antics in a dramatic opening round win over Mikhail Youzhny, a match that saw him almost forced to forfeit the encounter after hitting a ball out of the ground and swearing on several occasions.
 

But after becoming something of a national hero after his giant-killing wins at Wimbledon last month, this wasn’t a particularly good look.

Still he has a long way to go to match compatriots like Bernard Tomic and Marinko Matosevic.

Mad Dog Matosevic

Matosevic has been a headline machine over the last few months after initially taking aim at Andy Murray for hiring Amelie Mauresmo as a coach. “For me, I couldn't do it since I don't think that highly of the women's game. But, you know, his (Murray's) mum coached him and she did a great job with him so we'll see what happens. It's all equal rights these days. Got to be politically correct. So, yeah, someone's got to give it a go. It won't be me.”

Matosevic admittedly followed this up by doing something very un-toolike with a seriously good turn for young Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in Toronto. Matosevic was 1-6 down in a first-set tiebreak in the final round of qualifying before he casually stepped things up to win the set. He then simply walked off the court after giving some gear to fans. The reason for this, though, was that Kei Nishikori’s withdrawal from the event had allowed Matosevic to automatically qualify. So by forfeiting the match – apparently with some sort of ‘injury’ – Kokkinakis was given a spot in the tournament. It seemed a good turn for everyone but the people who had bet on Matosevic.

And, adding to this Matosevic then did his block during the Cincinnati Masters a few weeks ago, amazingly after defeating Frenchman Nicholas Mahut.

Angered by a call where an ace on match point was not given out, Mahut swore at the chair umpire, refused to shake his hand after the match and also kicked out at a TV camera.

Bernard Tomic the Tank Engine

Where do we start with Bernie? He hasn’t been in the news quite so much as Matosevic the last few months but his track record of dodgy escapades is pretty awesome.

There’s been his toolie antics at Gold Coast night clubs.

There’s been his tank job at the 2012 US Open in a clash with Andy Roddick, a performance followed by an equally bizarre press conference where he said he’d ‘remember’ a journalist that asked some tough questions.

In January 2012, Tomic was fined by Gold Coast police three times in one day while in November that year he was found fighting with a friend in a penthouse at 5.30am.

Of course, Tomic has had other difficulties too and it must be hard as well having to deal with his father, John, as coach. John Tomic’s erratic behaviour makes Bernard’s pale in comparison, with John Tomic having been charged after headbutting Bernard’s training partner Thomas Drouet in 2013. When Drouet sold his story to French newspapers, he said Bernard had been struck at times as well, so maybe there’s a case to have some sympathy for Bernard Tomic as well.

At any rate, all these three still have light years to go to match the real guns when it comes to being a tennis brat.

Try these on for size.

John McEnroe Stockholm 1984
 



John Mcenroe Wimbledon 1981



Jimmy Connors



Goran Ivanisevic 2000



Marcos Baghdatis Australian Open



Ilie Nastase



Serena Williams US Open 2011



 
Author(s)