Nick Kyrgios thinks the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have yet to attain something that Roger Federer had.
The Australian is preparing to return to professional tennis having played just one competitive match since the 2022 US Open.
His injury woes are now behind him and he is aiming to turn to his level and add some more titles to his resume.
But the tennis landscape has changed since Nick Kyrgios was last on tour with the icons of the game such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal now retired, and Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now at the forefront.
What does Nick Kyrgios think he can do against Carlos Alcaraz that he could not do against Roger Federer?
Kyrgios is getting ready to return to the ATP Tour that now has Sinner at the top of the game, with Alcaraz holding the second highest number of Grand Slams after Novak Djokovic.
They are the two players at the forehand of a new era in men’s tennis, and Kyrgios stressed his desire to play Sinner at the Australian Open.
But as well as they are playing and with their development only set to continue, Kyrgios thinks he has a chance to beat them in a way that he was not able to against players such as Federer.
“I feel like now the draws can be so open now, but back in the day if I made the last 16 of a slam I was by far the worst player there. It was like prime Tsonga, Wawrinka, Federer” Kyrgios told the Nothing Major Podcast.
“And what are the chances that one of us was going to beat Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and someone else to win a slam? It just was not going to happen. But now I think if you got a favourable draw and got to a quarter or a semi, and by then your adrenaline is pumping.
“You know, like Alcaraz and Sinner – don’t get me wrong they are going to be generational talents and some of the best tennis players but for me they do not have that aura yet or when I played Federer, Djokovic.
“They don’t have that yet and I think that’s a big edge. I think you can play on that a bit. I couldn’t go out against Federer and start playing mind games, it just didn’t work with him. But I feel like it could work with these guys still.”
What is Nick Kyrgios’ head-to-head record against Carlos Alcaraz and Roger Federer?
Kyrgios has yet to play against Alcaraz on the ATP Tour though that could change once he makes his return in 2025.
The Australian’s head-to-head record against Federer however, is heavily in the Swiss Maestro’s favour.
Kyrgios claimed their first meeting at the Madrid Open in 2015 in a tight 67(2) 76(5) 76(12) match that lasted two hours and 37 minutes.
Federer did not lose another match to 2022 Wimbledon runner-up from that point forward, winning six successive matches between 2017 and 2019.
Their last meeting was a thrilling Laver Cup contest in 2019, with Federer coming from a set down to win 6-7(5) 7-5, 10(7) to help contribute to Team Europe retaining the title against Team World.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
