‘Never seen before’: World stunned by Kyrgios’ outrageous act

Nick Kyrgios is the ultimate showman and he took just minutes to prove why as fans were gobsmacked during his Australian Open win.

Nick Kyrgios was up to his old tricks. (Photo by MICHAEL ERREY / AFP)

Nick Kyrgios was up to his old tricks on Tuesday night as he kicked off his Australian Open in style.

The Aussie wild child showed exactly why he’s a fan favourite at Melbourne Park every year as he beat Liam Broady 6-4 6-4 6-3 and entertained the thousands of spectators inside John Cain Arena.

Kyrgios was on fire from the start. He broke in the first game then delivered his customary trick shot with a twist — a sneaky underarm serve that went between the legs, if you don’t mind — in the second to go up 2-0 as he played up to the crowd, encouraging fans to get behind him and they duly obliged.

That ludicrous serve came right after he bombed a 220km/h bullet straight at Broady’s body, and the Brit could only chuckle as he tried to get out of the way.

UK publication The Metro called the underarm tweener “absolutely outrageous” on Twitter while Mikey Nicholson wrote: “Nick Kyrgios doesn’t care for your tennis serving etiquette.”

Sports reporter Matt Turner wrote: “New year, same Nick. Underhanded serve through his legs in opening service game. Wow.

“Spinning serve through his legs. 1st service game of tournament. Unreal skill and great entertainment.”

UK-based sports journalist Michael Hincks tweeted: “Kyrgios being Kyrgios … Ever the entertainer.”

British tennis writer Mike Dickson said Kyrgios went “full Harlem Globetrotter on Liam Broady” and The Tennis Podcast added: “Nick Kyrgios: Serves a 220km//h body serve. Also Nick Kyrgios: Underarm serve tweener through legs, wins point. Never seen that before.”

Loves a tweener. (Photo by MICHAEL ERREY / AFP)

What a showman. (Photo by MICHAEL ERREY / AFP)

There was more of the same as the match wore on, but a behind-the-back serve didn’t go so well. Supporters yelled out constantly for Kyrgios to try more underarms but in the second set he replied he would keep it to “one a set”.

The 26-year-old rolled through the first two sets and though Broady didn’t do much wrong, he just couldn't get into the game as Kyrgios’ power — and more tweeners from the baseline — ensured he dictated proceedings.

The superstar from Canberra maintained the rage in the third set as he charged into the second round of his favourite tournament in the world.

Kyrgios was underdone heading into his first match at Melbourne Park. He hadn’t played a single match in 2022 before Tuesday night, withdrawing from the Melbourne Summer Set then forced to pull out of the Sydney Tennis Classic at the last minute after testing positive for Covid.

Those developments followed a quiet 2021, where Kyrgios played only eight tournaments — going 0-4 to end the year. But there were so signs of rust in his first hit-out of 2022.

“I served f***ing well today,” Kyrgios told Jim Courier in his on-court interview. “I don’t know what I’ve done to this crowd because you guys are a zoo now.

“I’m just happy to be here again. Obviously we’ve all had a tough couple of years so just to be back at the Australian Open again — I’m just happy to be back here in front of you guys. Honestly, it’s so much fun.”

Kyrgios was up to his old tricks. (Photo by MICHAEL ERREY / AFP)

Just because Kyrgios hasn't been on court much lately doesn’t mean he’s been missing from the headlines. The Aussie surprised many by supporting Novak Djokovic throughout his visa ordeal, even though he’s taken public shots at the Serbian for his behaviour during the pandemic.

Speaking on his No Boundaries podcast recently, before the final call was made to deport Djokovic, Kyrgios said he felt Australia “had already been tarnished” by the saga.

“It’s just a s***show,” he said. “I’m waking up and it’s just reading the media and there’s something new every day. I feel like we’re just trying to fight things that aren’t right, it’s not about the vaccination any more, it’s just about him not being here on the right visa or his visa being cancelled.

“I feel like if it’s not that, it’s something else. I just think it’s crazy. I feel so sorry for him. Preparing for an Australian Open or grand slam is enough for someone and the pressures that he has are so unique, he’s going for 21 slams, being Novak Djokovic preparing is already enough, and I feel with dealing with the media, already having a court case, winning that, and now being detained again from that, still trying to practice, still trying to prepare and now his visa’s cancelled.

“It’s an absolute s***show. How we deal with this stuff is just embarrassing.”