Nick Kyrgios concurs with Darren Cahill's call for an increase in charismatic figures like himself and Ben Shelton in men's tennis
ATP
Former Australian tennis player Darren Cahill recently stated tennis could use more charismatic characters like compatriot Nick Kyrgios and rising American star Ben Shelton, and his sentiments were acknowledged by Kyrgios himself.
Cahill, who now coaches on tour and is currently working with Jannik Sinner, compared Kyrgios and Shelton in terms of their playing ability and engaging personalities.
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Tennis needs more charismatic personalities, according to Cahill
"He's like Kyrgios," said Cahill when referring to Shelton. "You like Kyrgios, you hate him, I don't care. On the tour, he brings something different & people will go out & buy a ticket, & watch these guys play. Ben brings a real joy in what he's doing on the court, he's not scared, he doesn't care who he is playing.
"I love him, I think the fact that Novak took him up a little bit for his celebrations was awesome. You can't have robots on tour, you can't have no personalities on tour.”
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Kyrgios took to social media to share Cahill's comments, and seemed to agree with the coach's statements.
"Finally," wrote the 28-year old.
The former World No.13 recently gave his opinion on Djokovic imitating Shelton's phono celebration after their US Open semifinal clash, with the Aussie pointing out that those antics garnered more attention than the match itself.
"So what?!?!? Sport is entertainment. We aren't robots. More people spoke about the celebration than the match," the Australian wrote on social media a few days ago.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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