Outspoken tennis star Nick Kyrgios has not played in a grand slam since the 2022 US Open but is set to make his comeback at the 2025 Australian Open.
After a disruptive run of knee, foot, and wrist injuries, 2022 Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios is gearing up for his home grand slam in January.
Ahead of that challenge, seven-time grand slam winner Mats Wilander believes the 29-year-old can prove he is a complete tennis player if he wins the prestigious tournament at Melbourne Park.
The Swede added that the former world number 13 has “revolutionised” tennis and if he wins the Australian Open he has the chance to “do it all”.
This is despite Kyrgios winning seven ATP Tour titles, having a 64.26 per cent win ratio, and never making it into the world’s top 10.
Mats Wilander makes bold Nick Kyrgios claim ahead of Australian Open
Wilander, who won three Australian Open titles between 1983-88, believes Kyrgios is one of the few players who is box office on and off the court.
He told Eurosport: “I think Nick [Kyrgios] has revolutionised the sport in many ways. Players are actually using part of his arsenal or his repertoire.
“Now, here’s another statement, if Nick goes out, and he plays his absolute best tennis, and if he wins the Grand Slam, I believe maybe for the first time ever, a single player would have ticked every single box that you can tick.
“He is competitive, the level is high, the mental attitude is brilliant, the repertoire and the variety of crazy shot-making and the jokes he cracks, no one has ever done it all. Nick Kyrgios has a chance to do it all.”
Before the Australian Open begins, Kyrgios hinted he may play doubles with Novak Djokovic at Brisbane International – which begins on December 29.
Nick Kyrgios talks up Australian Open clash with Jannik Sinner
The tennis world was in shock after Jannik Sinner tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid partially derived from testosterone, in March.
Sinner was cleared of wrongdoing by an independent tribunal before the 23-year-old was set to play at this year’s US Open, but Kyrgios wanted the men’s world number one to be banned for two years.
After Kyrgios said he would want an “absolute riot” if he faced Sinner at the Australian Open, Wilander has had his say on the matter.
He added: “Nick Kyrgios says he wants to disrupt and antagonise if he plays. He’s disrupting matches at the best of times against any player, but in a way, I believe Jannik Sinner is completely innocent.
“There’s no chance that he was trying to do something illegal, and it was not his fault whatsoever. It would be interesting to see if Jannik Sinner could hold and keep his cool if he played someone like Nick Kyrgios on, let’s say, the old Vodafone, John Cain Arena.
“They let all the ground pass holders at the Australian Open come in, so the average age in the crowd goes from 60 years old down to 16 years old or maybe 20 and some of them are having a few beers too many.
“That atmosphere would be interesting to see if Sinner could keep his cool if Nick Kyrgios really gets on top of him.”
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