"If you had that combination, you go 'Oh my god, this guy is winning 10 Grand Slams" - Pat Rafter criticises wasted career of Nick Kyrgios

Two-time Grand Slam champion Pat Rafter has slammed his fellow Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios. While lauding his high talent level on court, he lambasted the former Wimbledon finalist on a poor attitude and not trying to the highest of his capabilities.

While injuries have been a firm reason why the 30-year-old has dropped off, but when he was in his pomp there were always queries and discourse over his attitude on court and how much he truly committed to the sport, with him believing that he could have won '10 Grand Slams,'

Reaching a career-high of world number 13, winning seven ATP titles while also making it all the way to a Grand Slam and Masters 1000 final, Kyrgios has already got a very strong CV, but it could have been better with someone possessing as much talent as him. This was according to Rafter, who despite the promise, was very frustrated that he never truly made anything of it.

“When you see a talent like Nick come along, as an Australian public you get really disappointed because he hasn't reached his potential,” he said on the Shaped by Trent Cotchin podcast.

“The guy was - because he's never coming back to what he was - so talented and so good it scared me. If he had the attitude of [fellow Aussie] Dane Sweeny, if you had that combination, you go 'Oh my god, this guy is winning 10 Grand Slams.' I'm telling you right now, that's how good he was. It's just disappointment. I think his way of letting his frustrations show was just through his attitude and not trying because he was scared.”

He already lined out his incredible talent, but that enough will not win you titles and big events on a consistent basis. The best players in the world work incredibly hard to get themselves in these positions, and Kyrgios was not one of them, which Rafter found visibly frustrating. “It's a shame. He's such a different personality. I was one of those guys who wanted to change him,” he commented. “[In the end] I just had to let it all go.”

This came after Kyrgios’ Australian Open dream ended in the mixed doubles, partnered with former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez. The news surrounding Kyrgios was not based on tennis, however, with him being seen going out and partying hard until the sun rose above Melbourne.

He was consistently doing this, going out with friends including doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis with him involved in some controversial moments. One of these was constantly lambasting the Prime Minister of Australia while getting into arguments with staff as he tried to re-enter Melbourne clubs.

His tennis career has broken down over these last few years thanks to a plethora of injuries, specifically to his knee and wrist. This came at a bad time, with him riding the crest of a wave after reaching the 2022 Wimbledon final, losing to Novak Djokovic. He also made the quarter-finals of the US Open, losing a five-set thriller to Karen Khachanov.

He looked to be on an upward trajectory, but tennis can be a cruel sport at times. Three years ravaged with injuries and setbacks costed Kyrgios dearly, who has not been the same player since. He is currently attempting his latest comeback into the sport. Playing a whole host of exhibition matches in December including the contentious Battle of the Sexes before appearing on the ATP Tour for the first time in a singles match in a year. It was not a winning return, losing in the first round of the Brisbane International to Aleksandar Kovacevic in straight sets before opting not to pursue a wildcard for the Australian Open singles main draw, focusing all his efforts on the doubles events.

His campaign with Kokkinakis also ended early. Reunited in Brisbane with a win in the opening round, the 2022 Australian Open doubles champions fell at the first hurdle. Him and Fernandez did one better, winning out a thriller in their first matchup before being on the receiving end of a trouncing. He will move on from the Australian swing with more tennis in the legs but uncertainty over his level and whether he will be able to push on throughout the rest of the year.