- Kyrgios doubles down on criticism of world No. 1
- He says he would like to play Sinner at the Australian Open
- Aussie has been an outspoken critic of Sinner
Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios is considering a showdown with world number one Jannik Sinner at January’s Australian Open, insisting it would turn the event into “absolute chaos”.
As he prepares for his return to tennis, Kyrgios has been among Sinner’s harshest critics for failing two drug tests earlier this year.
The US Open champion first tested positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, during Indian Wells on March 10, and then again eight days later.
On both occasions, the world number one appealed successfully and was allowed to continue playing while the evidence was assessed.
Sinner, 23, managed to convince an independent tribunal that the two positive tests that found an extremely small amount of the substance in his system (less than a billionth of a gram) had been the result of contamination.
Kyrgios, who plans to return to Melbourne Park next year, says he wants to play against the Italian.
Nick Kyrgios is considering a showdown with world number one Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open in January.
Sinner tested positive twice in March for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol
“Let’s be honest, I just want to go out and I really want to play Sinner,” Kyrgios said on the Nothing Major podcast.
‘I thought about this (the game plan). If I played against him at the Australian Open, he would get everyone there to approach him. It would just turn it into a real riot.
“All respect would go out the window and I would do anything to win.”
Kyrgios says he now aims to be “as controversial as possible” and express himself authentically.
“I feel like we love the sport because you have to have contrasting personalities,” he said.
“If I play Sinner in the third round of the Australian Open, everyone will be watching because these are contrasting personalities.
“We don’t like each other and I think that’s healthy in sports.”
Injuries have kept the former Wimbledon finalist sidelined for an extended period, leading many to wonder if the mercurial talent would ever return to the game.
Injuries have kept the former Wimbledon finalist sidelined for a long period, but he plans to be fit for the Australian Open.
Kyrgios says he is recovering, but is not back to his best yet.
“Now, every time I play tennis, I have to do a treatment an hour and a half later, like on my wrist,” he said.
‘Sometimes I lose feeling in my fingers. It’s tingly, so I’m definitely in the back.
“I don’t see myself playing another, at most, a year and a half, probably.”