French Open : Bad boys of tennis

Fans love watching them, but some are equally repelled by their personalities and behaviours on and off the court. Some examples include Marcelo Rios, who had an explosive temper despite being fabulous on the court. Likewise, there are other players with turbulent histories that have been engraved in the history of the sport. Here is a list of three such tennis legends!

Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios has defeated the big three, won six ATP Tour titles, and won nine million dollars in prize money. However, the Australian intended to retire from the sport at 28 and admitted that he doesn't love the sport as much as Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Instead, he loves basketball and playing/streaming Call of Duty.

He has pulled off infamous feats such as informing Stan Wawrinka about Kokkinakis' relationship with his then-girlfriend, storming out of matches, smashing racquets, and hitting tweeners during regular rally points. On the contrary, he is known for running the Nick Kyrgios foundation to support underprivileged youth.

In addition, he donated 33,800 dollars for the Australian bushfire relief and delivered food to fellow citizens of Canberra during the Covid-19 pandemic. He had a solid start to the 2022 season after an unremarkable 2021 but is not planning to return until after the French Open as he spends time with his family in Australia.

Benoit Paire

Benoit Paire, also known as La Tige, is lauded for his fantastic drop shots that bunch back over the net again. However, his heart lacks the zeal to play tennis, evident from his statement implying that he wanted to lose in the first round of each tournament to escape life in a bubble. Despite his disinterest in the sport, he has won three ATP titles, all on clay, his preferred surface.

Like Kyrgios, Benoit is known for smashing racquets, spitting on the court and being banned from tournaments, including the Olympics in 2020. In Rio 2016, he was exempted from playing due to poor behaviour and breaching team rules. He admitted that he plays better when he doesn't train, and upon Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's retirement, Paire said he couldn't care less. Things don't seem to be on the right track for the player, but he wants to do better in front of his home crowd at Roland Garros 2022.

Fabio Fognini

Fabio has a composed exterior that does not give away his tendency to smash a racquet or hurl offensive words in Italian. During a match, he was criticised for using the word "frocio", an offensive word for "gay". He was defaulted at Barcelona Open for smashing a racket and abusing an official after being called for a foot fault. At the Australian Open in 2021, Fabio picked up an argument with countryman Caruso as they both wagged their fingers.

Despite his unethical demeanour on the court, he has a Masters 1000 title in Monte Carlo, has been one of the top ten players in the world and won nine ATP tour titles, all except one on clay. His gameplay has been widely compared to his temperament, as he can make fierce shots after a few seconds of playing tennis. Although he has entered the second round of the French Open 2022, he said he would instead soak in the sun than play Wimbledon after hearing about the reduction of prize money.