When Nick Kyrgios steps on court, it’s hard not to sit up and take notice. Possessing a huge game and an even bigger on-court personality, the 27-year-old Australian is one of the ATP Tour’s most natural entertainers.
A seven-time ATP Tour titlist who reached the final at Wimbledon in 2022, Kyrgios is now one of the stars of Netflix’s new behind-the-scenes tennis series Break Point. ATPTour.com runs down five things to know about the Australian crowd favourite.
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1. The Boston Celtics’ Biggest Fan?
Kyrgios makes no attempt to hide his love for basketball. The Australian tweets regularly about the sport, particularly his beloved Boston Celtics, and often trains wearing basketball attire. But what about his own playing skills?
"I’m LeBron James," joked Kyrgios when asked to rate his own game by ATPTour.com in 2019. "I’m the best basketball player of the tennis players, hence I’m LeBron.” While some of his rivals on the ATP Tour may have something to say about that, Kyrgios continues to work on his skills whenever he has time for a game on Tour.
2. He Loves To Eat Sushi, But With A ‘Couple Of Giggles’ On The Side…
Kyrgios relishes a big atmosphere when out on court, and the same applies when it comes to sitting down for his pre-match meals. The Australian, who does not eat meat or dairy, describes himself as a ‘pretty good’ cook and is particularly fond of Japanese-style dining due to its social nature.
“I like sushi because it’s kind of like an event,” Kyrgios told ATPTour.com last year. “You go with your friends, your girlfriend, or your partner, and it comes out on cute little plates, in cute little pieces, soy sauce, couple of giggles here or there. It’s romantic.”
3. He Is Confident In His Video Game Skills.
The self-proclaimed “best gamer on the tennis tour” Kyrgios is a big fan of Call of Duty, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t also open to some slightly gentler video-game experiences.
“I love Pokémon,” Kyrgios said when competing in Tokyo in October. “I still usually travel with my Nintendo Switch all the time, playing all these games… Things like Pokémon and stuff, that's been my childhood, every day. So, I had to go to the Pokémon centre [in Tokyo] and all that.”
4. He Personally Delivered Food To Canberra Citizens In Need During The COVID-19 Pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruption to normal life throughout the world. In his hometown of Canberra, Kyrgios did his best to help his local community by taking to social media to offer food to those in need before making a round of personal deliveries to those who reached out.
“If ANYONE is not working/not getting an income and runs out of food, or times are just tough… please don’t go to sleep with an empty stomach,” Kyrgios wrote in his initial Instagram post in April 2020. “Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to send me a private message. I will be more than happy to share whatever I have. Even just for a box of noodles, a loaf of bread or milk. I will drop it off at your doorstep, no questions asked!”
5. He Takes Serving Tips From Fans… And It Often Works!
Kyrgios gave new meaning to the term ‘fan engagement’ in 2019 at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., where the Australian began asking fans where he should serve on match point. The advice he received from the crowd worked, as Kyrgios defeated Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas on the way to his sixth ATP Tour title.
“It’s kind of like the finale,” Kyrgios, who brought back the ritual in 2022 en route to lifting the Washington trophy for a second time, later said of his unconventional tactic. “Who’s the lucky fan to tell me where to serve on match point?... Fans for me are the reason why I play. I love to entertain. I feel like it’s all a show. It’s not just me going out there hitting good forehands, hitting good backhands. It’s about making everyone in that crowd feel as if they’re in the match as well.”
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