Nick Kyrgios is one ATP pro who can surprise you in no time. At one moment, he can be seen playing the best tennis in the world. And suddenly he can go into saying the most unexpected and unfiltered things. Well, the Aussie is built like that and he’s never shy to embrace his personality in public – even when he’s on the court; it’s a constant. Now, after a gap of two years, recovering from injuries, he will soon step on the court with the Australian Open. However, there’s one more thing that will remain constant with him going into the first major of 2025.

The former World No.13 has built a reputation for traveling on ATP tours without a trainer. It’s been a constant tradition for several years now. However, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist and seven-time ATP title winner did try to have a coach in the initial phase of his career. After going pro in 2013, he tried to have former pro and compatriot Desmond Tyson as his coach. However, the association soon ended and Kyrgios hired former ATP pro Simon Rea as his trainer.

The pair worked for a year when Kyrgios managed to enter the breakthrough Wimbledon in 2014. The 19-year-old Aussie, ranked way down at 144, got lucky with a wildcard and shocked everyone by beating top seed Rafael Nadal. He made it all the way to the quarter-finals. But the Australian changed his mind once again and parted ways with Simon just a couple of weeks later. He then hired Todd Larkham, a former coach from his junior days, alongside Josh Eagle, a former player and Australia’s Davis Cup captain at the time.

Larkham was initially hired to train with Kyrgios domestically, while Eagle accompanied him to tournaments. However, they parted ways shortly before Wimbledon 2015, a crucial tournament for Kyrgios to defend his quarter-final points. After seven years, in 2022, Eagle revealed that Kyrgios was “uncoachable”. “There’s sheer brilliance, and then absolute disappointment at other times,” he said for Nick while talking to EuroSport. However, Kyrgios still made attempts to have a coach.

In 2015, he enlisted Lleyton Hewitt as his mentor for a few weeks later. The latter is a former World No.1 and an Australian pro, joined him in preparation for the US Open, but Kyrgios emphasized that Hewitt was not his official coach. “He’s definitely not my coach, let’s clear that up now,” Kyrgios said when Hewitt accompanied him at the Montreal Masters.

After more than a year in 2017, Nick brought in former World No.4 and ex-French pro Sebastien Grosjean on a part-time basis. This alliance only worked momentarily until the end of 2017. Currently, Nick Kyrgios has no coach, which means he will continue his seven-year(given he last actively played in September 2022) tradition of going solo in 2025’s Australian Open too. But what’s the exact reason that has kept him from hiring someone?

When Nick Kyrgios revealed the simple reason he doesn’t want a coach anymore

It seems like the Australian doesn’t need guidance from anyone now. It becomes evident from his statement given four years ago.

Back in 2020, during a podcast, Kyrgios was asked why he chose to stay without a coach. As expected, he had a blunt response. Without mincing words, he said, “Personally, I think (hiring a coach) is a little bit of a waste of money ’cause I think they get paid way too much.” Continuing further, he added, “Where I’m at my career now, it’s just too far gone, I think for a coach, ’cause I’m too set in my ways and I just don’t like to listen to advice, to be honest.”

“And, for me, I don’t have a goal of winning Grand Slams. I just want to do it my way, have fun with it and just play. So to get a coach for me is pointless because I don’t want to waste their time almost. I just don’t think a coach is ready – and I’m not going to put them through it too ’cause it would just be a nightmare,” he said when asked if he wanted to clinch a Major trophy with the help of a right coach, as reported by EuroSport in June 2020.

“Where I’m at my career now, it’s just too far gone, I think for a coach, ’cause I’m too set in my ways and I just don’t like to listen to advice, to be honest,” he added. Due to persistent injuries, he’s already missed a lot of action in last two years. His only appearance was during the Stuttgart Open in June 2023. After that match, he will now appear in the Australian Open early next year. Before that, however, he will use the Brisbane event later this month to get back in form. Do you think Nick Kyrgios will be able to leave a huge impression in 2025? Let us know in the comments below.