08 January 2024 , 18:58
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Nick Kyrgios is not fit to play at the Australian Open, but he is likely to remain in the headlines during the tournament after landing a new gig which will see him work alongside Boris Becker.
Kyrgios made his broadcasting debut last year, working on the Tennis Channel’s coverage of the ATP Finals. The 28-year-old will now work for Eurosport as an analyst during the Australian Open, which will run from January 14 to 28.
The controversial Australian reached No13 in the world rankings and reached the Wimbledon final in 2022 at the height of his career. But he is missing his fifth consecutive Grand Slam this month due to yet another injury setback.
Kyrgios has not played since June due to a torn ligament in his wrist. He confirmed last month that he would miss his home Grand Slam, which holds good memories, having won the men’s doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis in 2022.
He wrote: “Obviously had a really tough year with injury, had that knee surgery and came back a little too soon, [which] set me back a little bit [and I have] had some wrist issues. Obviously heart-breaking. I've had so many amazing memories there and I just want to really get back to playing at the top of my game and doing it right and I need a little more time.”
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Kyrgios made an impression as a pundit on the Tennis Channel in November and will now join Eurosport’s line-up, which also includes Becker, John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Justine Henin, Alex Corretja, Barbara Schett, Tim Henman and Laura Robson.
Working alongside Becker could prove awkward for Kyrgios after the two clashed in a bitter online feud recently. He told Becker to "try to not hide any more assets" during a row over the legacy of ex-players on the sport.
Boris Becker is back working in tennis following his stint in prison (Philipp von Ditfurth/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)The dig was a reference to Becker’s conviction in the UK in April 2022 for hiding assets and loans to avoid paying debts. He was released from prison in December 2022 and is now back working in tennis. The row started when Kyrgios said tennis was slower during Becker's time and said it would be "absurd" to suggest the German would be just as successful today. Becker shot back by telling him to "respect the past".
Speaking to Eurosport, Becker added: "They popularised the sport, they drew viewers to the television. You can see the result today. There has never been so much prize money, there has never been so much publicity as there is today.
"And that's because of the legends... there was (Stefan) Edberg, (Mats) Wilander. The 90s were (Andre) Agassi, (Pete) Sampras. All these players make it possible for Nick Kyrgios not to play tennis at all this year and still be able to make a living from tennis."