"It's a very difficult thing to do" - Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley on Kyrgios winning the event in front of his home crowd

Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios will be one of the favorites to win the 2023 Australian Open based on his performances this year and the crowd will certainly help him along the way.

It's always special to see your countryman compete at the Grand Slam tournament on the home soil and that's certainly one of the reasons why Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis received a lot of support during their run to the Australian Open doubles title in 2022.

However, it can be also difficult to face a pressure from the home crowd and that's also something that Kyrgios will need to do in 2023 as his recent success massively raised expectations.

Speaking about the upcoming event, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley touched on the difficulty of winning a Grand Slam in front of a home crowd.

"Playing at home in front of your home crowd and expected to win - that's why I think one of the greatest wins we've seen here at Melbourne Park was Ash Barty," said Tiley. "It's a very difficult thing to do ... only they (players) can talk about it, but responding to the pressure is not that straightforward.

"We would love to see Nick do well. For us, it's just day-by-day and him staying healthy, enjoying the competition. I believe if Nick comes out and has some fun while he's doing it, and has an opportunity to play his best tennis, that would be great."