Tennis great Andy Roddick believes controversial Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios is as talented as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Last month, Kyrgios announced when he will return to the court after a two-year absence and revealed that he only wants to spend very little time in the game before moving on with his life.
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.
The 29-year-old says he will return for the World Tennis League event in Abu Dhabi on December 19-22.
That will give him enough time to prepare for another assault on the Australian Open, where he previously claimed the doubles title alongside fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Roddick, who hasn’t always had the best relationship with Kyrgios, has surprisingly ranked him alongside the so-called Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer when it comes to raw skill.
Andy Roddick believes firebrand Nick Kyrgios (pictured) is as talented as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
The big three of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are considered the greatest players of all time.
“It’s amazing,” he said on his podcast Served with Andy Roddick.
“He’s one of the only guys I’ve seen that’s on par with the Big Three in terms of talent.
“He has a lot of talent in his hands, in his tennis IQ and in his way of seeing the game.”
“I would come back in a heartbeat without a second thought if I could have his game and my ability to withstand pain.”
“We would have been a good player.”
Roddick went on to say he believes Kyrgios, arguably Australia’s most polarizing athlete, is good for the sport.
“I wish he was around more often,” Roddick said.
‘I would love to see him in full flight committing to making the right decisions for three years. It’s amazing.’
Former world number one Andy Roddick (pictured) described Nick Kyrgios as “amazing”
Nick Kyrgios (pictured with girlfriend Costeen) is arguably Australia’s most polarizing athlete.
Kyrgios has been working as a commentator during his enforced hiatus from the sport and has previously spoken about his desire to retire early.
But he returns with a vengeance, issuing a call for cameramen to document his return and revealing that he has something to prove.
“I’m coming back because something keeps me in the game,” he told News Corp.
“I’ve beaten almost everyone who came before me, I’ve reached a Grand Slam final, I’ve won a Grand Slam doubles title, I’ve won multiple titles and I’ve made money.
“But I think the only thing I’m aiming for now is a Grand Slam. I think that’s the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day.
“That will be my deep motivation.”
Kyrgios has earned a reputation as a troublemaker for his combustible nature on the court, including being fined $166,714 by the ATP for a vulgar, expletive-filled rager at the Cincinnati Masters and even dragging Hollywood star Ben Stiller to a discussion with an interlocutor.
Kyrgios has confirmed that he will play the Australian Open next January
The talented Australian has only played one competitive match in two years
But the Australian insists that they have not understood it correctly.
“I guess I was labeled that just because I was a little outside the circle of what a normal tennis player is,” he said.
“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.’
With his return assured, Kyrgios was also asked about his eventual retirement and his response was very different to the previous times when he hinted that he would hang up his racket early.
“I’m far from done, to be honest,” he said.
‘I’m in the last stages of my career but I still have one or two years left… I feel very good.
‘I’m hitting for about three hours every day now. My wrist from surgery has completely healed and I feel motivated.”