Nick Kyrgios is trying and failing to stay relevant in tennis after latest snub
Nick Kyrgios is keen to find his place in his post-tennis life and he is in danger of becoming an outsider.
The Australian has yet to officially call time on his playing career, with his comeback bid at the start of 2025 ending as his body broke down once again at the Australian Open.
He tried and failed to play at the French Open and entered the ATP 500 event at the Queen’s Club before pulling out once again due to injury, with his absence from Wimbledon also confirmed.
Kyrgios is due to play with four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the revamped mixed doubles at the US Open in August, but his days as a contender for major tennis titles in over.
With an ego and confidence level that has always been as huge as his considerable talents, Kyrgios has always promoted himself as a tennis player who is bigger than the sport.
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He makes those claims even though his Grand Slam singles count stands at zero, yet Kyrgios is probably a more recognisable figure from the tennis world than many who have been more successful than him on the court.
When Kyrgios contributes to a debate, it creates headlines and that was evident with his outspoken criticism of world No 1 Jannik Sinner following his doping ban earlier this year.
Many in tennis stepped back from entertaining that debate, but Kyrgios led the way as he voiced his doubts over Sinner’s pleas of innocence and he didn’t care about who he upset as he made his points.
His outspoken status appeared to be a plus point as he has moved into presenting and commentating in recent years, with his insightful commentary at last year’s Australian Open earning him more praise than he ever attracted during a tennis career as notable for his on-court meltdowns as his brilliance with a racket in his hand.
The BBC then employed Kyrgios to work on their Wimbledon coverage a year ago and was again praised for his ability to inject fresh light on the players he has played in the heat of battle, but his appearance on the British state broadcaster was not without controversy.
Critics cited Kyrgios’ guilty plea in a domestic abuse case involving a former girlfriend in 2023 as a reason why he should not be on the BBC and that backlash may have been a reason why he was not involved in their roster of commentators for this year’s Wimbledon coverage.
Predictably, that decision has sparked a backlash from the easy-to-provoke Kyrgios, who has been quick to lash out at the broadcaster for the very public snub.
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s probably their loss more than mine,” he told The Guardian. “I understand they’ve got Chris Eubanks but he hasn’t beaten the greatest of all time multiple times.
“When someone’s beaten Federer, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic and has incredible insights, it’s very strange you wouldn’t want that person adding knowledge to tennis fans.”
Kygrios has also been more active on social media, with his criticism of the BBC and their decision to hire American Christopher Eubanks to be on their panel instead of him as ‘weird’.
Those who have worked with Kyrgios at the start of his broadcasting career have nothing but positive comments for the 30-year-old, with lead commentator Nick Lester telling Tennis365 that he enjoyed working with a personality many have described as ‘complicated’.
“We got on really well,” Lester told us. “I think we just bonded and he respected me after a while of getting to know who I was. The best commentary is conversational without being evasive.
“I’ve always stuck to the mantra of less is more. The commentator needs to do what he can to add to the broadcast without taking over.
“He was a superb and down-to-earth guy and what people don’t realise about Nick is he is very intelligent. That doesn’t always come across when he is on court, but he is very bright.
“He also loves tennis and when we did four-hour matches, he was engaged throughout. Without naming names, I’ve worked with some co-commentators who struggle to stay engaged for that long, so Nick was impressive.”
Lester was not alone in saluting Kyrgios the commentator and it seemed he was on course for a new career as a leading broadcaster.
Yet Kyrgios has spent most of his career cast as an outsider in tennis and as broadcasters turn away from hiring him, he has to be pondering what happens next.
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