Nick Kyrgios' eye-opening new career move divides tennis world
The Aussie has barely stepped out on the court this year but he’s landed a new gig at one of the most prestigious tennis events.
Nick Kyrgios has only played one tennis match this year but has still landed himself a new gig in the commentary box. The 28-year-old's only match this year was at the Stuttgart Open in June where he went down in straight sets to China's Wu Yibing.
It has been a difficult year for the Aussie with numerous injury setbacks ruling him out of all four grand slams and his inactivity has resulted in his ranking falling well outside the top 100. But despite being out of action, it was announced earlier this week that Kyrgios will commentate for the Tennis Channel on the end-of-season World Tour Finals in Turin, Italy, later this week.
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The ATP Finals see the world’s top eight players, based on calendar year rankings, face off in a round-robin format, with the winner crowned the best player of the tennis season.
In a statement, the Tennis Channel said: “Nick Kyrgios, whose electric style of play and straight-to-the-point conversational approach have endeared him to millions of fans around the world, is joining Tennis Channel as an analyst during its coverage of the ATP Finals November 12-19.
“It will be Kyrgios’ first time working with the network, and it will happen during the most exclusive event in men’s tennis, with just the top eight singles players and doubles teams qualifying for the event based on points earned during the 2023 season.”
Novak Djokovic is favoured to take out the ATP Finals for the sixth time, while in the women's, Iga Swiatek is the dominant favourite. Despite being known as a tennis mind, Kyrgios commentating on the prestigious event has not gone down well with some fans and pundits.
Others, however, said Kyrgios has always had an underrated tennis mind and is an excellent addition as he has played against every men's player who is competing at the tournament.
Nick hired as an analyst? What a joke he has zero insights
— RMY | here bc we want to keep dreaming 🫶 (@rwmytnny) November 7, 2023
Do they not understand that we don’t want to listen to him? Ugh!
— Marisa (@Marisasaccount3) November 7, 2023
A great addition, @NickKyrgios hopefully will be allowed to speak his mind. He has great knowledge of the game and all the players competing and I think this will be a lot fun.
Go Kygs! 👏 https://t.co/2EGiaRzIkY— Pavvy G (@pavyg) November 7, 2023
I’m excited for it! I’m missing the heck out of Nick! I was sad he pulled out of Laver Cup because that’s where we see the real Nick, in a team environment. I know it’s love him or hate him, everyone is entitled to an opinion. I think if he’s given a chance he’ll surprise people.
— Hope Gainey (@hope_gainey) November 8, 2023
Kyrgios vows to come back bigger and better in 2024
Kyrgios has announced he plans to come back bigger and better after a season from hell, dismissing suggestions he's on the verge of walking away from professional tennis. His injury-riddled season, came on the back of the best year of his career in 2022, reaching the final at Wimbledon and the quarter-finals at the US Open.
However, things went horribly wrong from there after he suffered a knee injury at the end of 2022. He was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open and underwent surgery before his plans to play at Wimbledon were ruined by a wrist injury.
His prolonged absence and several recent comments sparked speculation that Kyrgios could call it quits on his career in the very near future but he dispelled that suggestion in an Instagram post.
Posting a photo from a workout in the gym, Kyrgios wrote: "To my millions of fans out there, I guess we just have to be patient. Trust me, I still have some fire left in the tank, my body just needs time to recover and get back. Everything off-court is doing great. l am eyeing to come back and have a season like my last again."
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