"Every move I make, it's always commented on. I have no agenda" - Kyrgios open to qualifying route if Australian Open wildcard is not on the table

With a wildcard for the Australian Open in the balance, qualifying may be the only way for Nick Kyrgios to once again qualify for the Australian Open, with the former Wimbledon finalist motivated to put the hard work in.

It may have seemed like an almost guarantee that Kyrgios would pick up a wildcard for his home event, with him emerging over the years as one of Australia's top players. His presence on court has been very much under the radar in recent times, with injury problems constantly putting him on the sidelines for the past three years, with a number of failed comebacks prolonging his time away from the court. 

A couple of these came last year. The first at the start of 2025 when he made an eagerly awaited return to the court. He lost in the opening round of both the Brisbane International and Australian Open, both events he was awarded wildcards for. He picked up a first win on his return in the Miami Open after previously retiring from the Indian Wells Open but was then out of the sport until July when his latest comeback in the DC Open saw him retreat back into the shadows, not to emerge until December when he took the headlines in a number of exhibitions.

The foremost on many people's minds was the Battle of the Sexes against Aryna Sabalenka. The hugely controversial event was not very popular with many tennis fans and pundits across the globe. In the end, Kyrgios won, as expected, comfortably 6-3, 6-3. Beforehand, he had featured in numerous other exhibitions like the Atlanta Cup, Garden Cup and the World Tennis Continental Cup, with just one single win coming against Sabalenka. 

Ahead of his Australian Open fate, Kyrgios is looking to continue to get his match fitness and sharpness back in the Brisbane International, where he has been accepted as a wildcard, and the Kooyong Classic, another exhibition held directly before the major tournament commences in Melbourne. 

This is his main focus first, with the Australian Open on his mind for a later date, even if that is going through qualifying. "Potentially, yeah … I'm going to get through this week and whatever AO brings, AO brings," he stated. "That's two weeks away. So many things can change."

While he will be desperate for a wildcard, he wants to earn it first, not taking it off anyone who may be more deserving than him. He is in a fierce battle with many other tennis players, including fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson, for a coveted wildcard. There have, however, been concerns over his fitness and whether he would be able to keep pace in an elongated match. 

"I could have a phone call (with TA) and be like, 'I feel 100 per cent; I'm going to make a final of a grand slam, that no other (male) player in Australia has done in the last 19 years'," he said. "I could just butter it up and take it, but I want to prove to myself first. And I don't want to be that type of player that takes opportunities away from young people that have been really working towards this moment."

He reminisced on the prior exhibitions he has been involved in, amazed by the turnout while admitting that his love for the sport was well and truly there. "The last month has been pretty outrageous; a kid from Canberra selling out Madison Square Garden, Dubai. Pretty crazy," he said.  "I see the crowds packed in (and think), wow, maybe I did actually do a decent job. I'm pretty proud of myself."

He continued: "I've literally had this sport in the palm of my hand the last couple of years. Every move I make, it's always commented on. I have no agenda — don't care what my ranking is, what titles I win — I want to go out and put on a show, and ultimately that's what I'll go down as. A bit of a chaotic mess, but an entertainer at the end of the day."

The Australian Open qualifying will take place from January 12-15, with just a limited number of players looking to book their spots in the main draw, which will then shortly follow from January 18 - February 1.