Nick Kyrgios says what Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal used to do to people before they stepped on court but couldn’t to him

Nick Kyrgios is finally back on a tennis court, with the Australian having just taken part in the World Tennis League.

Kyrgios played doubles with Casper Ruud at the team event in Abu Dhabi, but their Kites side failed to reach the final two.

The former will have used the competition as preparation for the 2025 Australian Open, having last played on the ATP Tour in Stuttgart in the summer of 2023.

Kyrgios will play at the Brisbane International as further preparation, where he will partner 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

Having overcome his rivalry with the Serbian, the Australian has entered into a relatively new tussle with Jannik Sinner.

Nick Kyrgios says what Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal used to do before stepping on court

Kyrgios wants to create a ‘riot’ against Sinner if the pair were to meet at the Australian Open, with that claim not pleasing five-time Grand Slam doubles champion Nicolas Mahut.

Mahut labelled Kyrgios’s Sinner comments “unnecessary”, with the latter now sharing his response to the Frenchman.

“I don’t know if there’s a back-and-forth,” Kyrgios told Telecom Asia Sport. “Nicolas Mahut, on a global level, hasn’t made inroads like I have, so I’ll let that be. And I don’t think the world necessarily cares too much about what Nicolas Mahut has to say.

“I wasn’t retiring. Trust me, I was two sets away from winning a Grand Slam. I didn’t retire; I was forced to stop playing for a while.

“It was very, very hard because I was playing the best tennis of my life. It’s been about 16 months since my surgery, and I’ve done everything the right way – no shortcuts, just rehab and hard work.

“I’ve put myself in the best position I can, and now I’ll let my tennis do the talking. I have people like Mahut telling me to be realistic.

“He was an amazing doubles player, a Grand Slam champion, no doubt, but he didn’t have the singles career I’ve had.

“That’s probably why he has his opinion. But on the singles court, he never had the belief I have, so that opinion means nothing to me.

“I’ve achieved way more things playing singles than Mahut could have in his entire career. That belief is what separates players.

“[Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal, [Novak] Djokovic – they were the greatest because people were defeated before they even stepped on the court with them. I don’t want to be that player. I’ll always back my ability and my belief.”

Nick Kyrgios names two best players in the world right now

Kyrgios will likely have to face the very best the ATP Tour has to offer if he wants to enjoy a lengthy stay in Melbourne, which certainly won’t be easy.

It remains to be seen what level he can operate at after his injury problems, while many star names will be out to start 2025 on a major high.

Among them are world numbers one and three Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz respectively, who shared the Grand Slam titles between them in 2024.

And it is that duo who have caught the eye of Kyrgios, who added: “There’s no doubt that Sinner, Alcaraz – these guys are the best in the world right now, hands down.

“But that doesn’t mean I won’t believe in myself. I’ll always back myself and do everything I can to compete.”