Nick Kyrgios hasn’t always been a fan favorite throughout his intriguing tennis career, which he has continued into 2026.
Kyrgios won his first match of the season at the Brisbane International, although he exited the tournament shortly after.
He was playing singles and doubles at the ATP 250 event, where he suffered first and second round defeats respectively.
Kyrgios won’t play singles at the Australian Open, but the home favorite will be playing doubles in Melbourne.
Who is your dark horse for the 2026 Australian Open?
Nick Kyrgios is correct to want Novak Djokovic to continue playing
One player that will most certainly be playing singles at the Grand Slam is Novak Djokovic, who Kyrgios has formed a close bond with in recent years.
The Australian has been discussing the Serbian ahead of the event, recently telling the Sydney Morning Herald: “There’s obviously something there that he wants to achieve, whether it’s another Grand Slam or something else.
“But I think we should just cherish the fact that someone that old in our sport is still at the top of it and still gives everything to it. The longer we have guys like this around, the better it is for our sport.
“I feel like there’s been a void in the sport ever since [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal left… and obviously when Novak goes, that era is completely gone. I want him to stay for as long as possible.”
It was an honest assessment of the current situation from Kyrgios, who certainly isn’t afraid of speaking his mind.
Not all of his verdicts have gone down well, but his comments on Djokovic are absolutely correct, with the ATP Tour and tennis in general needing the veteran to stay for as long as possible.
Why tennis needs Novak Djokovic to play for as long as possible
Djokovic has been labelled the greatest player ever, and with 24 Grand Slam titles it is hard to argue against that claim.
He now has the chance to make history and win a record 25th Grand Slam title, which would simply further his greatest of all time claim.
And it is the Australian Open that undoubtedly represents his best chance of success, even with Djokovic withdrawing from the Adelaide International.
Who will win the 2026 Australian Open?
The Serbian has won the hard-court Grand Slam 10 times, more than any other man, and should be well rested and recovered ahead of a new season.
At 38, he clearly isn’t the player he once was, but he’s adored by fans, and may even represent the best chance of denying further success for Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
It will be a heartbreaking day for tennis when Djokovic finally does retire, but just as Kyrgios wants, hopefully that day is some way away.
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