Nick Kyrgios is back with another riposte. After losing to Jacob Fearnley in the first round of the Australian Open singles, he remains unafraid to speak his mind. Kyrgios has been candid about the doping controversy surrounding top players Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek during his hiatus last year, expressing concerns over the preferential treatment given to certain big names, as opposed to the low-profile players. And, now he has stepped forward to back up Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Last week, Kokkinakis had to withdraw from Adelaide International because of a shoulder injury. It seemed at one point that his Australian Open campaign might be in jeopardy, but the big Aussie managed to get fit in time for the Happy Slam. The 28-year-old made a winning start as well, on Monday, beating Roman Safiullin by 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6.

But the former Australian pro-Todd Woodbridge was not happy with Kokkinakis’ schedule in the latter half of the last season, as he slammed the World No. 77 for prioritizing lucrative exhibition matches in Russia over his Australian Open preparation. Woodbridge suggested that Kokkinakis’ injury woes might be self-inflicted, stating, “He has to think hard about what he’s going to do to get the best tennis career out of himself. At the back end of the year he’s played Challengers and then he went and played exhibition matches that he didn’t need to do. Yes the money’s great and we all love putting that in our pocket and that’s exactly what he did, but that schedule hurts to start the year.”

After winning his first-round match against Safiullin, Kokkinakis took a moment to respond to Woodbridge’s criticisms in the post-match press conference. He retorted, “I mean, that’s fine. He’s trying to make a good living as well; that’s why he’s trying to host every game show there is under the sun. So, we’re trying to make a living as much as he is.”

Bringing the ATP’s financial structure to light, Kokkinakis further stated, “Unfortunately, ATP sometimes if you make a semi-final of a 250 event, you don’t get as much as what you would playing an exhibition.” This caught the eye of Kyrgios, who reposted the moment on his IG Story, writing, “Facts!!! We out here earning 6-7 figures at these ‘exo’s’ – we have every right to go and get that money!!!! The game is much more physical now then when some of these older heads played. Don’t be jealous we earning bread!!!!!”

After a year-long hiatus due to knee and wrist injuries, Nick Kyrgios participated in the World Tennis League in Abu Dhabi alongside players like Aryna Sabalenka and Andrey Rublev. The event featured a total prize pool of around $20 million, though specific earnings for participants remain undisclosed.

Now after his first-round exit, Nick will play doubles with Thanasi at AO on Wednesday. However, after his exits from his previous matches of the season, injury woes still make him wary.

Krygios opens up about his challenges with physical pain

The Aussie faced a tough opening round at the 2025 Australian Open, losing in straight sets to Britain’s Jacob Fearnley. Despite showing renewed determination, he struggled with abdominal pain throughout the match, clutching his midsection during critical moments. Ultimately, he lost 7-6(3), 6-3, 7-6(3). In the post-match press conference, Kyrgios reflected on the experience, “My re-surgery was 16 months ago. I’ve put in a lot of work… stayed motivated through all those days watching others play while I was in a cast.”

However, despite feeling fit, he acknowledged that ongoing injuries make competition difficult. He lamented, “It’s not enjoyable to go out there and not think tactically. When it gets to a point where you’re one of the bigger servers on tour and you’re getting out-served, that’s not tennis to me.” His serve has been a hallmark of his game, and without it, he feels he’s “not a threat to many players.”

Undoubtedly, Kyrgios’s powerful serve has garnered praise from coaches like Patrick Mouratoglou, who ranked him as the top server. Even in his match against Fearnley, he managed to hit 13 aces with a 69 percent win rate on his first serve. However, this loss seems to have taken its toll on him. While he plans to continue playing doubles with Kokkinakis at the 2025 Australian Open, will he rise above the challenge and take a win?