Nick Kyrgios says whether he actually likes Ben Shelton after speaking with him a couple of times

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Nick Kyrgios is not afraid to say what he thinks about other players on the ATP Tour.

Kyrgios has not competed since the Miami Open, having struggled with ongoing physical problems that forced him to pull out of playing doubles at the French Open.

The Australian has since announced that his return will be postponed even further, with Kyrgios now withdrawing from Wimbledon.

Kyrgios has been very vocal against Jannik Sinner over the past year, and has now given his verdict on American ATP star Ben Shelton.

Nick Kyrgios says whether he likes Ben Shelton after speaking with him

While Kyrgios continues his absence away from the ATP Tour, he has answered questions about the current tennis landscape on an Instagram live video.

One of those discussions concerned world number 13 Ben Shelton, who impressed at the French Open before losing in the fourth round to Carlos Alcaraz.

When asked about Shelton, Kyrgios admitted that he liked the 22-year-old after having a couple of discussions with him.

Kyrgios also spoke about Shelton’s powerful serve, and claimed that he would have been a multiple-time Wimbledon champion when the courts were quicker.

“I actually really like Ben,” said Kyrgios. “I don’t know how I felt earlier. Let’s be honest, he was always going to be a gun. But I did not know about the energy. But now I have spoken to him a couple of times and watched him play and I like Ben.

“I like the energy that he brings and as I said he is that type of game style with a big serve, where the court speeds are against him. Everything is against guys like that now because the courts are slow, you have to have an all around game. And Ben is still doing it.

“He has a huge serve. I’m not saying he is bad from the back. But if courts were fast, like 30 years ago, Shelton would barely lose an indoor match. He would barely lose at Wimbledon.

“This guy is serving 230 or 240 (km/h) with ease too. His left hand is monstrous. You get Shelton at Wimbledon serving 240, goodnight. Good luck returning that, he would have like 10 Wimbys.”

Kyrgios used his own big serve at Wimbledon in 2022, reaching the final before losing to Novak Djokovic.

How has Ben Shelton performed at Wimbledon?

While Kyrgios believes Shelton’s game should be suited to grass, he is yet to find his feet on the surface.

Shelton showcases his best level for Grand Slams, and that is certainly the case at Wimbledon as well.

Last year, Shelton reached the fourth round of Wimbledon, but has only won two of his seven grass court matches on the ATP Tour.

This includes losing to world number 289 British player Paul Jubb at the Mallorca Championships last year.

Shelton is scheduled for a busy grass court season this year, which he will begin at the Stuttgart Open that gets underway on Monday, June 9.

The American number three is also entered to play at Queen’s Club and the Mallorca Championships again ahead of Wimbledon.