Demons surround Nick Kyrgios but one goes under radar
Alex de Minaur is under the radar. Nick Kyrgios is smack bang in the middle of it. His mantra at the Australian Open is this: ‘I think I’m the best tennis player in the world.’
Nick Kyrgios wanted a closed training session. We took a squiz anyway. To judge his fitness ahead of the Australian Open. Don’t tell anyone. He nudged half-a-dozen volleys before flinching in pain and telling his hitting partner: “I can’t hit a backhand, mate.” I reckon he’ll play at Melbourne Park … but he ain’t in the greatest nick.
The fascination with Kyrgios is that not even Kyrgios knows which Kyrgios will turn up for his first Open since wrist surgery in 2022. He’s telling himself he’s the best player in the world and reckons the sport has been bland without him. He’s not exactly right in this regard. But he’s not entirely wrong.
“I’m always going to back my ability,” Kyrgios says. “People are always going to say, ‘Be realistic, you’re not going to be the same.’ Unfortunately, I don’t have that mindset. I always have the utmost confidence in my ability. If I’m playing my style of tennis, my unpredictability, I have a chance against anyone. That’s the mindset you need to have against these people. You can’t be realistic. You have to think, like, ‘I think I’m the best tennis player in the world.’ Is that realistic? Probably not. But I think that when I’m out there.”
Kyrgios faces Britain’s world No.89 Jacob Fearnley in the opening round. He hasn’t won a match since October, 2022. He walloped some tremendous blows in the closed, not-so-closed, session on Friday, unleashing Superman forehands and sumptuous two-handed backhands before serving appeared problematic because of an abdominal strain.
And his heavily strapped wrist meant he couldn’t hit a backhand volley, mate.
He wore a Boston Celtics singlet. Had his cap on backwards. Grunted and groaned and giggled and guffawed and gave a full and frank effort. About 100 spectators were in attendance when everyone realised the secret hit was actually open slather on Court 3. The charisma was impossible to ignore. One patron in a bucket hat shouted at Kyrgios, “The greatest showman is back!” He liked that.
“We watch sport because we want personalities,” Kyrgios said after his session. “It’s one-versus-one … you watch a person figure it out over a four- or five-hour period. You see the amount of emotions … It’s like drama, theatre. For me being personally back, I think it adds question marks. What is going to happen today? I love that. Every time I step out on court, I don’t know if I’m going to be super-controversial in a good or bad way. Throughout my career, it hasn’t always been good, but it’s added a lot of excitement to the game. I think it’s important.”
Why? “There’s so many good players on the tour now. I think there’s not so many contrasting personalities,” he says. “I think it’s healthy that I’m back and I’m playing. I’ve always been someone that’s played my brand of tennis. I guess my personality, I haven’t changed since I was 10 years old. Anyone that knows me knows that I’ve always been just how I am now. That’s why I think it’s good for me to be back. I think the sport was getting a bit mundane.”
Eighth-seeded Alex de Minaur is the most legitimate Australian men’s hope at the Open since Lleyton Hewitt was hustling and bustling in the mid-noughties. And yet Kyrgios turns the needle more than his introverted compatriot. Kyrgios provides the needle, too, doing quote marks with curled fingertips when talking about world No.1 Jannik Sinner’s “accidental” doping breach. He might need a needle, of the painkilling variety, if the wrist soreness persists.
De Minaur isn’t getting much airplay in Melbourne. He’s curiously under the radar while Kyrgios is smack-bang in the middle of it. When de Minaur hit the practice courts, he wasn’t wearing a Boston Celtics singlet, nor did he have his cap on backwards. They’re chalk and cheese, really. Night and day. Fire and ice. Greatest showman and humble warrior.
“I’d love to fly under the radar if possible,” Kyrgios says. “Doesn’t seem like that’s going to be happening. The media loves me for some reason. I’m not too sure why. I haven’t been around a grand slam … I forgot about the emotions you feel, the nervousness when the draw comes out, seeing all these guys in the locker room.
“Our sport is truly strange. You’re literally showering, eating, spending time with competitors that you’re going to war against. It’s such a strange dynamic compared to any other sport.”
De Minaur starts his Open against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp. He’s Australia’s highest-ranked player and yet here he is, down the bottom of our yarn. He skipped into Friday’s press conference with the world’s media like an excited puppy … and the first question was about Kyrgios stealing his thunder.
“I kind of just focus on myself and playing tennis,” de Minaur said. “That’s the only thing that I kind of worry about. Go out there, have the best possible prep that I can for the tournament coming up. I feel like I’ve had a great start to the Australian summer. Looking forward to getting started.”
Kyrgios recalled his first encounter with de Minaur, saying: “He was orange boy at Davis Cup. We’d won the tie. He needed to have some extra practice. I was like, ‘I’ll go out there and teach this little kid a lesson’. I brought a beer out. I was like, ‘This guy can’t be that good’. It was a really close set. I was in my prime and he was only 17. I was like, ‘This guy is going to be really solid’. The pressure of being our No.1 player, I was there and didn’t always deal with it the best. He’s been a ridiculously good role model. He does everything right. I genuinely think he’s a threat at any grand slam tournament. He’s got a chance.”
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