Russian tennis legends Nikolay Davydenko and Elena Vesnina have derisively called Nick Kyrgios “overrated” and a “clown.”
The former Wimbledon finalist played his last competitive match since 2022 in June of last year after missing nearly the entire previous two years due to injury.
After a successful 2022 season, Kyrgios had knee surgery in January 2023. He then had a wrist injury that could have ruined his career, which prevented him from making his planned comeback in the 2023 grass-court season.
On a panel at the South by Southwest conference in Sydney, Kyrgios declared that he would play in the Australian Open in 2025.
“This summer, I’ll be participating in the Australian Open,” the 29-year-old declared.
“I simply miss performing live in front of my home crowd.” There are a lot of guys like Alex de Minaur playing fantastic tennis right now.
“I had a terrible injury to my wrist. I probably wouldn’t be able to play again, the surgeon stated. In any case, I said, try to extend my career by another two to three years.
“The past few years have been difficult, but simply performing in front of a home audience… All I want is to be performing in front of my nation and lighting up the crowd.
It will undoubtedly be a lot of fun, regardless of how it turns out. I am eagerly anticipating it. Trying to win a Grand Slam is the only reason I return to play, but I’ll give it another go.
Before Kyrgios’s return, Davydenko, a former ATP world No. 3 player, delivered a critical assessment of Kyrgios in an interview with the Russian publication BetBoom Tennis.
In general, he is overrated. He was usually hurt when it came time to play. The 21-time ATP champion said it like way: “Let’s forget about him.
Vesnina, a former world No. 1 in doubles who made a comeback to the tour this year, concurred with Davydenko while praising Kyrgios’ skill.
“Clown, I concur. However, he was exceptionally gifted and talented,” the four-time Grand Slam doubles champion said.
He possessed an excellent forehand and a strong serve. However, all of that was lost when it came to taking home a major championship.
Kyrgios claimed in a recent News Corp Code Sports podcast that he is committed to winning a major to “shut people up.”
The former world No. 13 clarified, “I am returning because something is keeping me around the game.”
“I have advanced to the Grand Slam final, won a Grand Slam doubles title, defeated almost everyone that has been put in my path, earned money, and won numerous titles.”
However, I believe that a Grand Slam is the one goal I now have in mind. That, in my opinion, is the only thing that will ultimately silence people. That will be my main source of inspiration.
