Most Popular Bad Boys:The Iconic Rebels of the Court

The game of tennis has given us some iconic moments in sports history that we can never forget and has also given us some brilliant athletes as well. There have been some great athletes which we all look forward to every time we watch a game of tennis. It is safe to say that these iconic sportsmen have made a big difference with their performances.

Throughout the years, we have seen players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal known as some of the most talented players on the court and known for their great sporting personalities. However, some tennis players do not have a clean record like these individuals on and off the court. This time we are not only going to cover some popular faces but also some controversial figures in the game as well.

So, here are the top 5 Rebellious and controversial players in tennis:

5. Illie Nastase

Illie Nastase is perhaps one of the most talented and entertaining players who was one of the gifted players who showed great agility and had all the tricks in the book. This was enough to put the Romanian among one of the top players in the game which also led to winning two Grand Slams and being a World number 1 ranked player. The only thing that held Nastase back was his erratic temperament and unnecessary antics on the court. There was a point where people enjoyed these antics at first, but then it got out of hand as the officials couldn't put up with the lack of discipline that he was showing in his games.

4. Andy Roddick

There was no doubt that Andy Roddick was set to be one of the upcoming stars of tennis. He proved that in his career in the early 2000s where he won the US Open in 2003 and even played in 3 Wimbledon finals. He even went on to become the world number 1 as well. Though his achievements were applauded when it came to his on-court behaviour, he gave the officials a hard time. Roddick used to argue on many decisions and he was also hated by the crowd. This made him one of the most controversial players to ever play the game.

3. Jimmy Connors

Jimmy Connors was no doubt one of the most legendary players to ever grace the court with 8 grand slams to his name which include one Australian Open, 2 Wimbledons, and 5 US Open victories. Connors might be a fan favourite and had some great rivalries with some of the best players in the world like Bjorn Borg and John Mcenroe. Apart from these achievements Connors had a dark side which in his later years he has shown on and off the field. Connors already had a wild lifestyle outside the court which also includes a lot of controversies like his relationship with Chris Evert. Even on the court, Connors had the habit of not accepting his losses and arguing with officials. This bad boy image was something that caused a lot of problems for the legend.

2. Nick Kyrgios

The story of Nick Kyrgios is very interesting to learn about. There was a time when Kyrgios was one of the most-watched upcoming talents from Australia whose career was going onward and upwards. Nick also enjoyed entertaining the fans in his matches as well. Then came the time when the talented Australian not only had some injuries but also showed some poor behaviour on the court where he smashed rackets and argued over decisions. The most shocking event was when he even threw a chair at the umpire during his match against Daniil Medvedev in Rome. This also led to losing points and getting suspended for the season. This caused a lot of problems in what was turning out to be a promising career.

1. John Mcenroe

If there was a perfect example of a wild child or Bad boy in the game of tennis, John Mcenroe is the player. There was nothing the 7-time Grand Slam champion hasn't done when it comes to having a successful career in the sport. Mcenroe is comfortably one of the biggest legends in the game of tennis who has had some great matches and rivalries. Apart from this, Mcenroe has been the classic bad boy of tennis who has had fights with players, umpires, and fans and also smashed rackets on the court. There was hardly a game where we saw Mcenroe not getting a warning from an official or having temper tantrums on the court which made him one of the most notorious figures in the sport.