Coco Gauff lauded both Nick Kyrgios and Naomi Osaka for their influence on tennis in a recent interview.
Kyrgios and Osaka are an interesting combination of names when observed through a tennis lens. While Osaka is a multi-Grand Slam champion who will certainly leave a big legacy in the sport, Kyrgios doesn’t have that.
His legacy, for the most part, is tied to his controversial behavior both on and off the court, despite being one of the most talented players to emerge in recent years. His run to this year’s Wimbledon final is certainly a notable achievement and will improve his legacy.
Even so, the Australian will primarily be remembered for other things, which is regrettable because he’s a player who has a tremendous impact on tennis. John McEnroe has been on record for years about wishing for Kyrgios to take tennis seriously.
Very few players move the needle as much as he does, and that’s true. Gauff certainly sees it similarly as she lauded both his and Osaka's impact on tennis because they bring so many eyeballs to the sport.
"Nick doesn’t worry about what people say about him. Naomi isn’t catering her career to other people’s opinions. They’re waking the sport up, including myself, and I admire them so much for what they’ve done."
Gauff will likely be one of the leaders of the sport in a couple of years, and her admiring both of them speaks to their impact. Older tennis fans might not understand it, but these players simply move the needle.
As problematic as Kyrgios might be and as cold as Osaka can be, they are inspiring new generations in ways that are hard to explain, and ultimately, that might be the most important part of a tennis player’s legacy.