One tennis star claims he understands the sport better than all of his fellow pros.
Nick Kyrgios insists he has a higher tennis IQ than the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. The controversial Australian was asked to build his ultimate tennis player out of seven key attributes.
Kyrgios picked himself for two categories, believing he has the best serve and the strongest intelligence on the ATP Tour. He was also asked to pick the best backhand, slice, speed, forehand and fitness.
The 29-year-old picked Djokovic for the best backhand, Roger Federer for the slice, Alex De Minaur for speed, and Nadal for forehand and fitness.
Speaking on the Lets Trot Show Kyrgios moved on to deciding the highest tennis IQ by emphatically saying: “I don’t know if anyone in the history of tennis has made the final of Wimbledon without a coach. So for IQ, I’d probably take myself.”
Kyrgios is referring to reaching the 2022 Wimbledon final, in which he lost to Novak Djokovic in a thrilling four-setter. He reached the SW19 showdown after Rafael Nadal withdrew from their semi-final with a 7mm abdominal tear.
Meanwhile, Kyrgios is hoping to make a long-awaited return to the tennis court during the Australian summer. He has played only once in the last two years due to knee, foot and wrist injuries. Much of his time in the interim has been spent conducting punditry duties for broadcasters and appearing on podcasts.
Kyrgios is aiming to be fit for January’s Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2025 and his first appearance at a major since he reached the US Open quarter-final in 2022. “It has been a long journey of recovery to be where I am today,” Kyrgios said a fortnight ago.
“One of the goals I had set was to be able to play during the Aussie summer so I am excited that I get to start in Brisbane, which is one of my favourite tournaments.”
Kyrgios’ 2022 Wimbledon nemesis Djokovic is trying to return to the top of the sport with Andy Murray as his new coach. The Serb suffered an injury-hit 2024, failing to win a Grand Slam in a year for the first time since 2017.
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