Nick Kyrgios speaks on how girlfriend Costeen Hatzi has altered his 'bad boy' attitude - "She's definitely tamed me a lot"

World No. 20 Nick Kyrgios recently spoke about the impact his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi has had on his 'bad boy' image, crediting her for changing him for the better.

The Australian is often depicted as a villainous character on the men's tour due to his exasperated antics and expressive nature. However, there's been a significant change in his persona since he began dating Sydney-based beauty influencer Costeen Hatzi.

Kyrgios spoke about his bad-boy image in an interview on 'The JBK Show," remarking that his girlfriend has helped him mellow down his rigid attitude and that he's not the 'bad boy' the media portrays him to be.

" Not at all, I dont consider myself to be a bad boy in tennis," he said. "The media kind of painted that villainous type role very early in my career. Costeen has taken on the role of being a girlfriend and definitely tamed me a lot and supported me."

The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up unfortunately withdrew from the Australian Open due to injury. He recently underwent surgery to treat a cyst in his left knee cartilage following his exhibition practice match in Melbourne against Novak Djokovic.