Kyrgios calls himself an Australian - I call him an ugly Australian to which  many people seem to fit the bill.  Just because he was racially abused does not give him the right to call the lineswoman a snitch and then has the hide to say he had never disrespected anybody? If I was his parents I would be very troubled by his performances. He will never change his behaviour because he thinks it is entertaining, I call him a total turn-off and would never pay to see him and others like him.

I have a different view although I'm not necessarily a supporter of Kyrgios. He gets heckled by the crowd, thrown racist taunts and is expected to cop all of that with a smile. If he was given the same treatment in a street in Australia he could expect that the people doing the same thing as a tennis crowd would be charged under Australian anti-racist laws. Yes, he has a short fuse and is quick to defend himself and I wonder if he was not playing an English player would he have copped the abuse? He does not, however, have the right to abuse officials, that he must accept without question.

Nick's behaviour is certainly below par but he really cops a lot of flack from nasty spectators. There is just so much a person suffering from depression can take before the straw breaks.

Let's take a step back and note the good works of charity that he does...his NK Foundation has raised thousands for disadvantaged young people....

"My purpose is to give every dream a sporting chance

For the first time, I feel like there is a reason for what I am doing. Tennis is a great life – we are well paid and the perks are pretty good – but it can feel empty if you’re just doing it for the money. I now know what it’s all for. When I work on the NK Foundation and our Melbourne facility, I cast my mind forward to all the disadvantaged kids I will be helping. I’m playing for them now."

You're a great young man Nick...a talented one...behave like one!

Frankly, I am sick of the 'racist remarks' claims, the 'mental health' claims and 'blaming their childhood' as excuses for bad behaviour pure and simple.

You don't hear or see these claims when they are 'winning' only when they totally lose control and behave like tantrum-throwing 2-year-olds. 

And have you noticed it is only the overpaid under 35-year-old male sportsmen behaving like this? I am petty sure there are hundreds of female sports people with mixed-race parentage, who may also have 'mental health' issues, suffered from racist remarks and, hey, even felt disrespected for time to time. Yet there are no reports of such disgusting behaviour from them.

It is well past time for action. These badly behaved young men need to be taught that behaviour has consequences. They have too much money for a petty fine to make any mark. Total exclusion from the sport is the only way they have any chance of learning better behaviour. And Australia has to stop deifying sports people on the grounds that they can kick or bat a ball.

I don't know why there isn't some sort of expectation placed a spectators' behavior.

No competitor should be subject to racism or any other sort of abuse.  Surely it is not "sporting" in the true sense of the word.

I agree with all the comments Sophie has made.

Unfortunately bad behavior from Australian sportsmen give Australia a bad name.   Also there are many public figures who have mental health issues, which are not publicly manifest.

If he wants respect he has to earn it. He is an absolute disgrace. Compare his behaviour to the late Shane Warne. 

In my opinion the matches Kyrgios  participates in should not be allowed to be broacasted on the media as he  sets bad example for children who may think it is cool to behave like that.

Nick's proud Mom and Dad....

Picture Source: mamamia.com

Did you know...

His mother was born in Malaysia as a member of the Selangor royal family, but she dropped her title as a Princess when she moved to Australia in her twenties.

Brilliant lady…a computer engineer and his dad a painter.

Personally I feel he should be given some psychiatric help. His behaviour needs to be modified on and off court. He needs help.