Nick Kyrgios looking to cause 'absolute riot' against Jannik Sinner in case of Australian Open showdown draws 2-word reaction from tennis insider
Nick Kyrgios recently outlined his plans if he faces Jannik Sinner at the upcoming Australian Open. The Australian's intentions to turn the crowd against the Italian has drawn a reaction from tennis insider Jose Morgado.
Kyrgios will return to the ATP Tour in 2025 after nearly two years away and has received a wildcard to compete in the main draw of the 2025 Australian Open. Meanwhile, Sinner will be the defending champion at the year's first Grand Slam after winning his maiden major title in Melbourne last year.
The Australian is gearing up for his home slam and recently mused about potentially facing Sinner. Krygios has been a vehement critic of Sinner after the latter's doping scandal. The former Australian Open doubles champion has repeatedly taken jibes at the World No. 1 via social media, calling for a two-year ban for the Italian despite his no-fault verdict by the ITIA.
On the latest appearance of the 'Nothing Major' podcast hosted by Sam Querrey, Jack Sock, Steve Johnson, and John Isner, Kyrgios professed his wish to face Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open and turn the match into a spectacle. The 29-year-old intends to turn the home crowd against the Italian and cause an "absolute riot" to throw Sinner off his rhythm.
"I feel like I've got a lot more, I've got something, you know, let's be honest. I just want to go out there and I really want to play Sinner. Like I'm waiting for it man," Nick Kyrgios said.
"Well, I thought about this and I've been thinking, I've been talking about it a little bit, like if I played him in Australian Open, like I would get every single person in the crowd to just like get on him. Like I would just turn it into an absolute riot. Like I would lose all respect, all respect would go out the window and I would just do anything to win," he continued.
Nick Kyrgios' plan seemed to surprise tennis insider Jose Morgado, who posted his opinion on social media platform X.
"Oh dear," Morgado posted.
Jannik Sinner and Nick Kyrgios have played each other once before on ATP Tour
Nick Kyrgios and Jannik Sinner have not played each other on the tour many times and have not faced off during the latter's recent surge. Kyrgios has been missing from the tour for two years and nursed various injuries during that time. He has played only one match on the tour since October 2022, losing to Wu Yibing in the first round of the 2023 Stuttgart Open.
Kyrios and Sinner's only previous encounter on the ATP Tour was at the 2022 Miami Open, where the ninth-seeded Italian defeated the Australian 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the fourth round. As a result, Sinner holds a 1-0 head-to-head advantage in the series.
If they were to face each other at the Australian Open, Sinner would be the firm favorite to emerge victorious, given his supreme form on hard courts over the last 12 months. Moreover, Krygios does not have a favorable singles record at the Australian Open, with his best performance coming in 2015, when he reached the quarterfinals.