I met Nick Kyrgios once. The man respected tennis journalist Bill Simons called the most disappointing player of this era was hanging around behind the grandstands at the Atlanta BB&T Open in 2019. John Isner and Reilly Opelka were having a serve-bot contest on the main court, and as we left to get something to eat, there was Kyrgios, standing around the grounds, not really being bothered by fans. He had already lost in doubles, wasn’t in the singles draw, but he was still in town.
I told him his Wimbledon match against Rafael Nadal earlier that summer was terrific, and he smiled and said, ‘Thanks for reminding me, mate,’ of his highly entertaining, four-set loss. Earlier in the day, my son and his friend had seen Kyrgios at the Atlantic Station area adjacent to the tournament grounds and got a photo with him. He was polite and charming, 24 years old with the potential to carve out a Top 10 career and win a major.
It never happened. Bad behavior on the court, a lack of focus off the court, and now a positive cocaine test pretty much caps the career of the guy it was hard to look away from. He could be alternately charming and off-putting, electric and lazy. He was unpredictable and compelling every time out.
You didn’t have to have the tennis eyes of Andy Roddick, Jim Courier or Hall of Famer Mary Carillo to see the overwhelming talent. When Kyrgios played to his ceiling, it was all there. Incredibly soft hands, a powerful serve, tons of creativity, NBA-level athleticism, a willingness to wait out backhand exchanges before blasting one from the forehand side.
You also didn’t have to be a tennis insider to know his heart wasn’t always in the game. As he said this week when he admitted to his positive cocaine test, he did not choose tennis, tennis chose him. He had said he wasn’t willing to go the lengths it took to be at the top of the sport that was occupied by Roger Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic during his career.
Not that he couldn’t compete with them.
Krygios beat all three in their first meetings. With Nadal in particular, there was a brief but intense rivalry.
Kyrgios admitted he tried to hit Nadal in the chest with a forehand, and was unapologetic about it afterward. ‘Why would I apologize?’ he asked the Wimbledon media.
It was at Wimbledon in 2022 when Kyrgios was at his peak and had his chance to be a grand slam champion. He got a free pass into the final against Djokovic when Nadal had to withdraw prior to their anticipated semifinal with an abdominal injury. I had the chance to interview Roddick ahead of that match, and he was eager to see the potential fulfilled from the tempestuous Australian. Could he stay focused? Could he handle the moment? There was an undercurrent of disappointment from Roddick, in that it is hard to see that talent not being maximized.
Djokovic won in four sets, then the two had an endearing bro-fest during the trophy ceremonies. Djokovic has longed to be embraced by fans who have resisted. Kyrgios resisted the embrace fans tried to give. Was that about to change?
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Remarkably, a quarterfinal run at the US Open months later would be the last time he won a match at a major. Injuries robbed him almost all of his 2023 and 2024 seasons, and it appears he hasn’t gone all in for a final return to close his career. He’s tried his hand at broadcasting, and has been good during appearances on BBC and ESPN as a commentator. He’s not unnecessarily outrageous, but speaks his mind as you would think he might. He also let us inside how his tennis mind works, which is a fascinating study.
Ultimately, though, this is a sad ending to a tennis life for a man that battled mental health issues almost from the beginning of his career. The guy who once asked a fan in Washington where he should serve on match point and seemed to be having fun on the court was haunted by loneliness, insecurity and depression.
There is no question it is disappointing we saw way more of the worst of Nick Kyrgios than we did of the best. But the best was still memorable, even if we never got that level we all knew he could reach.
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