Nick Kyrgios and Taylor Fritz's private conversation about Tommy Paul revealed ahead of his SF clash with Novak Djokovic
Ahead of Tommy Paul's 2023 Australian Open semifinal match against Novak Djokovic, a conversation surfaced online in which Nick Kyrgios and Taylor Fritz can be seen praising the 25-year-old.
2022 Wimbledon runner-up Kyrgios withdrew from the first Grand Slam of the year due to a knee injury. Fritz, on the other hand, bowed out in the second round, losing to the unseeded Alexei Popyrin.
Earlier today, Tennis TV posted a few clips on its social media account showing words of appreciation from Kyrgios and Fritz for Paul. The only tour-level meeting between Kyrgios and Fritz came at the 2022 Cincinnati Masters, where the American prevailed.
Before the match, the two players were captured lauding Tommy Paul for his on-court movement.
Kyrgios: TP (Tommy Paul) is disgusting but I reckon he's one of the most underrated players. Underrated like so underrated. He's a joke. Bro, I don't want to get into a rally with him.
Fritz: He's very good, yeah. He moves a joke. I think he's a top five, for me, movers on the court.
A few match clips were also included in which Paul could be seen winning scarcely believable points, courtesy of his quick movement. Kyrgios reacted to the Instagram post, saying:
"Yupppppppp privacyyyyy."
Replying to his comment, Fritz wrote:
"Lot worse things could’ve been posted."
On his way to the last four in Melbourne, Paul defeated the likes of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Roberto Bautista Agut. In his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance on January 25, Paul downed compatriot and rising star Ben Shelton 7-6(6), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in three hours and six minutes.
The 35th-ranked player became the first male American player to reach the semifinals in Melbourne since Andy Roddick in the 2009 edition. He will, however, face his biggest challenge in the form of nine-time Australian Open champion Djokovic on Friday, January 27 at the Rod Laver Arena.
"Nick Kyrgios is an insane talent" - Tommy Paul
Nick Kyrgios has a 2-0 head-to-head lead over Tommy Paul so far. In a press conference after winning the 2023 Australian Open quarterfinals, Paul spoke about his relationship with the Australian, claiming that he was an "insane talent."
The American also stated that he was disappointed when Kyrgios pulled out of the Melbourne Major.
"I think he's an insane talent in the sport," Paul said. "It's hard not to watch him play. Him and Frances (Tiafoe) are my two favorite people to watch. If he's on TV and I'm at the tournament, like, I'm watching his matches because it's the most entertaining stuff."
"I was bummed to hear that he had to pull out of this tournament right before because I was really looking forward to watching him play. But I think he's going to have a good year. He obviously turned it up last year, played amazing. Looking forward to seeing him play," he added.