- Nick Kyrgios could return in December
- He has been out of action for more than a year due to injury
- Kyrgios admitted he doesn’t see himself as a ‘bad boy’
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios admits he doesn’t see himself as a “bad boy” and has pointed the finger at several Australian sports stars whose past behavior he believes has been “ten times worse”.
The 29-year-old maverick tennis player has made headlines throughout his career for his controversial behavior on and off the court.
Kyrgios has been in the spotlight in the past for breaking rackets on court, bad-mouthing his opponents and getting into fights with umpires, most notably attacking an umpire during his 2022 Miami Open match against Jannik Sinner.
Some within the sport have also questioned his conduct, including retired legend Rafael Nadal.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion and the Australian have faced each other in the past, and speaking of his former opponent, the Spaniard once said: “When he plays good tennis and shows passion for this game, he is a positive player for our tour and I want my tour to be bigger, not smaller.
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has pointed out that other Australian sports stars claim they are “ten times worse than him”.
Kyrgios has run into trouble during his career, particularly being
Nick Kyrgios had a day to forget during his fourth-round exit at the Miami Open in 2022
‘When he is ready to play his best tennis and play with passion, (he) will be one of these guys. When he does other things, of course, I don’t like it. However, Kyrgios and Nadal appear to be rid of any animosity they once had, with the former praising Nadal following his retirement last week.
Kyrgios, however, believes he has abandoned any perception that he is a “bad boy” among the Australian public and singled out stars from two of Australia’s biggest sports who he believes are “worse”.
“I don’t see myself as a bad guy,” Kyrgios said News Corp Sports Code.
“I guess they labeled me that just because I was a little outside the circle of what a normal tennis player is.
“If you look at the behavior around some members of the NRL, the AFL and some of the antics those guys get up to… I guess that’s 10 times worse than me saying a bad word or breaking a racket.”
Kyrgios has impressed with his ideas over the past year with the Australian star dipping his toe into the media world during his injury break.
In January he joined Eurosport to work as a pundit at the Australian Open, before working with the BBC later this summer at Wimbledon.
“I know that at the end of the day I play a very clean traditional sport, which is chivalrous and I have to be on my best behavior,” said Kyrgios, who could recover from his injury later this year as he prepares to compete in the Open of Australia 2025.
He was close to being disqualified by Brazilian referee Carlos Bernardes calling him a ‘clown’
Last year Kyrgios turned to media work and this summer he worked for the BBC in Wimbeldon.
‘So I know why they painted me like that, but at the same time it got a lot of attention… and I just moved on.
“I don’t think I have that perception among the Australian public anymore. But at the beginning of my career, people thought I was like a murderer.’
The Australian also spoke about how much time he thinks he has left playing at the highest level.
The tennis star had endured a torrid 2023, being ruled out of the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon with a series of injuries, including a torn wrist ligament.
He told the outlet that he has between one and two years left playing at the highest level, but that he still has a lot to give.
