It has been a rough few weeks for the sport of tennis.  Autumn has traditionally been the toughest part of the year to generate on-court excitement, but 2016 has seen some blemishes off the court as well.  The verdict in the Maria Sharapova doping scandal only served to dredge up controversy about both the Russian and the ITF, but both parties were quickly pushed out of the spotlight thanks to the exploits of Nick Kyrgios last week in Shanghai and his subsequent bad headlines this week.  He has left many once again wondering if his presence is an overall positive or a negative for tennis.

Even if one did not see it live, it was impossible to not be aware of the pathetic display the Australian put on in Shanghai.  Video of his tanking a match was played on sports broadcasts throughout the world.  Adding insult to injury were Kyrgios's comments following the loss in which rather than sounding contrite, he made it clear he felt no remorse for his lack of effort and could not care less about what the fans thought of his play. His antics earned him a total of $41,500  in fines and an eight-week suspension with the possibility of having it reduced to three weeks if he agreed to see a sports psychologist or a similar program approved by the ATP.  Was this punishment just, and if so, was it enough?

With the possible exception of the most ardent of Kyrgios fans, many would agree a punishment was unquestionably in order.  It is fine to have personality, even one that pushes the envelope.  Fans have seen that in the past with the likes of John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.  Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt could be feisty on the court, and Andy Murray can still occasionally be surly.  But one thing all of these men have in common is that they have always competed to the fullest, even when not at their best.  To suggest that what Kyrgios did in Shanghai was merely a colorful breath of fresh air is a disservice to players such as these and tennis as a whole.

The punishment that was meted out for his lack of effort in China could be a disservice to tennis and Kyrgios himself, however.  Patrick McEnroe, who agrees with the terms of the ATP's punishment, is arguably correct in that the young Australian's behavior is a cry for help, but perhaps a longer ban, even in lieu of the additional fine, would have been a more effective dose of medicine for Kyrgios. After all, this is not the first time he has angered fans and officials with his behavior.  He has behaved horrendously at both Wimbledon and the US Open, and it is evident that he learned very little from the disciplinary action that was imposed on him last year following his disparaging remarks to Stan Wawrinka.  His words of apology only come after he has been hammered in the press or following disciplinary action from the ATP, which leaves many questioning his sincerity.

Now the latest news is that Kyrgios is going to skip the event in Rotterdam next February in favor of participating in the NBA's All-Star Weekend despite having originally been under contract.  Tournament Director Richard Krajicek opted to release the Australian from his contract, making it clear that he would rather have a player he can count on to be a professional rather than risk a debacle at his tournament like the one Kyrgios put together in China.  To put it bluntly, Kyrgios got what he wanted in this latest situation for basically acting like a jerk in Shanghai. 

Ultimately, Kyrgios must the one who wants to clean up his act.  Perhaps a forced and extended break away from the game (at a meatier part of the season) would aid that cause.  Maybe he would come to appreciate it more.  Then again, as a man who has admitted to hating tennis, maybe it would not. Perhaps he would opt to walk away from tennis and move on to something else, and that is okay, too.  No player, no matter how talented, is bigger than the sport.  Allowing Kyrgios to continually get by with these types of incidents with what amounts to no more than a slap on the wrist needs to stop.  It did not happen this time, but the next time Kyrgios pulls a similar stunt – and odds are there will be a next time – the ATP must take swifter and harsher action.  Not doing so not only hurts the integrity of the ATP, it hurts the integrity of tennis, and perhaps most importantly of all, it hurts Kyrgios.