Wimbledon is well underway and former finalist turned pundit Nick Kyrgios has had his say on how impressive Carlos Alcaraz really is.
The young Spaniard battled his way past Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal on Centre Court yesterday, beginning his title defense with a straight sets victory.
One of the sport’s most polarizing tennis talents in recent memory has swapped the racket for the microphone as he takes up his position in the commentary box for this year’s Wimbledon, starting off on Carlos Alcaraz’s opener.
While certainly a big call from the BBC to stray from their more traditional voices in the box, Nick Kyrgios is certainly a breath of fresh air for some and can importantly provide valuable insight into this new generation of stars.
Nick Kyrgios outlines Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘most surprising’ quality
Speaking alongside Tim Henman and Nick Lester during the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon 2024’s opening day, the former No. 13 was probed on what he finds so remarkable about the three-time grand slam winner’s game.
Alcaraz toyed with Lajal mid-way through the second set, eventually executing a deft flick to leave his opponent completely stranded prompting Kyrgios to say: “That’s the biggest part of Alcaraz’s game that surprised me.
“As soon as he came on the tour, his hands moving forward, his intangibles, his pick-ups, his slicing, his dinks. He’s got such good hands for someone his age and I didn’t really expect that.
“You don’t see many Spanish players have this type of game style, so comfortable around the net and doing things like that.”
What has Kyrgios previously said about Alcaraz?
It is of course not the first time Kyrgios has praised Alcaraz’s game, with the 29-year-old lauding the Spaniard during his first punditry gig at the Australian Open in January.
“He makes me excited about tennis,” Kyrgios told Eurosport during Alcaraz’s opening-round victory against Richard Gasquet.
“Guy’s scary. End range. He’s a freak when he’s on end range like that. Intangibles are top-notch.
“He’s one person I do want to face, I want to play, and I want to give a good crack at when I go back. Before it’s all said and done, it’d be fun.”
A prolific serve and volleyer and natural grass court player himself, Kyrgios is perfectly poised to pass judgment on the new emerging giants of today’s game.
While the pair have never met on the tour, there’s little doubt that a contest between these two players would be a truly special affair.
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