"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
ATPFriday, 30 January 2026 at 11:30
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,'
Rafter shares frustrations over Kyrgios wasted potential
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.
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