Nick Kyrgios is a temperamental tennis player. He does not shy away from speaking his mind, a trait that has often landed him in controversies. Kyrgios, however, has not changed his ways and continues to be the way he is. This time around, the Australian has courted a fresh new controversy on social media.
The former world number 13 has been sidelined due to injuries this year. Kyrgios has played only one game in 2023. He played at the Stuttgart Open, where he lost to Wu Yibing in the first round.
Kyrgios is not in the news for his injuries though. The fiery Aussie recently mocked an account online, that only highlighted the top 10 ATP players and their social media following.
No I think it’s funny that I’ve brought more to the sport than most, don’t be upset x
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 4, 2023
Kyrgios reacted to the post and commented ‘LOL’ under it. A fan called him out for it, but Nick responded that he has done more for tennis than a lot of players on the list.
Other fans, of course, took issue with his statement because the only reason he does not feature on the list is because he is not in the top 10 rankings. A user even harshly pointed out that people do not follow him for tennis.
Who follows you for tennis 😂
— Holger (@_HolgerB) August 4, 2023
Kyrgios does have over 5 million followers on social media, more than players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev. Other fans did not hold back either.
Seeing a player yelling at his team, yelling at the public, yelling at the chair umpire, throwing his racket at a ballkid… you’re right, you’ve brought a lot to sport. A lot of shame.
— Gitane1 (@gitane1) August 4, 2023
Nick Kyrgios is currently recuperating from his injuries. He had to pull out of Wimbledon at the last possible minute due to a wrist injury. There are no updates as of now, about when Kyrgios will make a return.
Besides Nick Kyrgios, who are the other popular tennis stars on social media?
Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. Celebrities have the power to influence their fans online. While Nick Kyrgios does have a huge fanbase on social media, there are other players with an even bigger fan following.
Rafael Nadal is the most followed tennis player on this list. With 19.5 million+ followers on Instagram alone, Nadal tops this list by a huge margin. It is not surprising that the 22-time Grand Slam champion is so popular and loved by fans across the globe.
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With 16.8 million+ followers, Serena Williams sits next on this list. The younger Williams sister is quite active on social media, sharing pictures and giving life updates to fans. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has been a huge influence on women’s tennis.
Novak Djokovic comes next on this list. With a gigantic fanbase of 13.4 millon+ followers, Djokovic is a hugely popular figure. He is quite active too, sharing pictures with his family and his triumphs on the tennis court.
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Then there are players who do not have such a big presence on social media but have done a lot for tennis. Elina Svitolina, Coco Gauff are just two examples of this. Svitolina has become a household name since she returned to professional tennis and took a stand for Ukraine. Gauff has been quietly working to make the game more accessible to young players.
It is true that social media is an important tool these days. But the fanbase alone cannot prove to be the litmus test for contribution to the sport.