Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Nick Kyrgios

Discover the career path of Nick Kyrgios, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Nick Kyrgios is a highly ranked Australian professional tennis player, known for his powerful game and sometimes controversial on-court behavior. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 13 in 2016 and has won seven ATP Tour singles titles, including the Washington Open twice. Notably, he reached the Wimbledon final in 2022. In doubles, he reached world No. 11 and won the 2022 Australian Open title with Thanasi Kokkinakis. Kyrgios is a prominent figure in modern tennis, known for his talent and showmanship.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2004: Historical Wimbledon Debutant

In 2014, Nick Kyrgios became the first male debutant to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals since Florian Mayer in 2004.

June 2010: First ITF Junior Tour Title

In June 2010, at the age of 15, Kyrgios won his first ITF junior tour title in Fiji.

2011: Junior Grand Slam Debut

In 2011, Kyrgios made his junior grand slam debut at the Australian Open.

2012: Junior Grand Slam Doubles Titles

In 2012, Kyrgios won the doubles events at the French Open and Wimbledon Championships as a junior player.

September 2013: Davis Cup Debut

In September 2013, Kyrgios made his Davis Cup debut for Australia against Poland. He lost the doubles rubber with Chris Guccione but won his singles match after Michał Przysiężny retired. Australia won the tie 4–1.

September 2013: Career High Ranking

On 9 September 2013, Kyrgios reached a new career-high ranking of No. 186.

2013: Kyrgios' Grand Slam Main Draw Debut

In 2013, Kyrgios made his Grand Slam main draw debut at the French Open and won his first ATP Tour level match.

2013: Relocation of Training Base

In 2013, Kyrgios relocated his training base from Canberra to Melbourne Park to further his career.

2013: Coached by Desmond Tyson and Simon Rea

In 2013, Kyrgios was coached by Desmond Tyson and later by Simon Rea, who helped him reach a Grand Slam Quarter-final at Wimbledon.

2013: Australian Open Junior Title

In 2013, Kyrgios won the Australian Open Boys' Singles title and Wimbledon junior doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis.

2013: First Challenger Tour Title

In 2013, at the age of 17, Kyrgios won his first challenger tour title at the Nature's Way Sydney Tennis International, defeating Matt Reid.

2014: Praised by Richard Gasquet

After defeating the 18 year old Kyrgios in the 2014 Davis Cup World Cup tie, top French player Richard Gasquet praised Kyrgios' attitude and personality, predicting his future prominence.

2014: Davis Cup Matches

In 2014, Kyrgios played in the Davis Cup for Australia, losing singles matches against Richard Gasquet and Gaël Monfils as Australia lost to France 5-0. Later in September 2014, he won both his matches against Denis Istomin and Sanjar Faiyziez against Uzbekistan, helping Australia return to the World Group.

2014: Wimbledon Breakthrough

In 2014, Kyrgios reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals, defeating World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, marking a significant milestone in his career.

2014: Reunited with Todd Larkham

In 2014, Kyrgios reunited with his former coach Todd Larkham and worked with Joshua Eagle to spend more time in Canberra.

2014: Challenger Title Wins

In 2014, Kyrgios won the Sarasota Open, Savannah Challenger, and Aegon Nottingham Challenge.

June 2015: Parted with Todd Larkham

In June 2015, Kyrgios parted ways with Todd Larkham shortly before Wimbledon.

2015: Davis Cup Quarter Finals

In 2015, Kyrgios played in the Davis Cup quarter-finals against Kazakhstan, losing his singles match and then being replaced due to injury. Australia won the tie. He was later dropped from the squad for the semi-final tie against Great Britain.

2015: Australian Open Quarterfinalist

In 2015, Kyrgios reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, marking several milestones for a teenager and Australian player.

2015: Continued Without A Coach

Kyrgios continued not having a coach for the remainder of 2015.

September 2016: Davis Cup Victory Against Slovakia

In September 2016, Kyrgios returned to the Davis Cup team and won his singles tie in straight sets against Slovakia, contributing to Australia's victory in the World Group playoff.

2016: Miami Open Semifinal and Top 20 Ranking

In 2016, Kyrgios reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semifinal at the Miami Open and entered the top 20 for the first time.

2016: Coaching Offers

In 2016, Kyrgios received coaching offers from Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras.

2016: Hopman Cup Win

In 2016, Kyrgios won the Hopman Cup with Daria Gavrilova, marking his first title on the World Tour.

2016: ATP Title in Tokyo

In October 2016, Kyrgios won his first ATP World Tour 500 series title at the Japan Open Tennis Championships, beating David Goffin.

2016: Continued Without A Coach

Kyrgios continued not having a coach throughout 2016.

May 2017: Hired Sébastien Grosjean

In May 2017, Kyrgios hired Sébastien Grosjean on a part-time basis.

2017: Davis Cup First Round Victory

In 2017, Kyrgios played in the Davis Cup first round against the Czech Republic, winning his singles match in straight sets as Australia won the tie 4-1.

2017: Coaching Offers

In 2017, Kyrgios received coaching offers from John McEnroe.

2017: Rated Among Best Servers

In 2017, the ATP rated Kyrgios as the fifth best server in the history of professional tennis. His serve reaches speeds up to 230 km/h, and he wins 78.8% of his first-serve points.

2018: Davis Cup Against Germany

In 2018, Kyrgios led the Australian team in the Davis Cup against Germany, winning against Jan-Lennard Struff but losing to Alexander Zverev. Australia lost the tie 3–1.

2018: Brisbane International Win

In 2018, at the Brisbane International, Nick Kyrgios won his first tournament on home soil, defeating Ryan Harrison in the final. This victory propelled him back into the top 20 rankings.

2018: McEnroe's assessment of Kyrgios

In late 2018, John McEnroe stated that Kyrgios is the most talented player he had seen in the last ten years, but might "run himself out" if he did not commit himself to tennis.

2019: First Underarm Serve

In 2019, Kyrgios first used the underarm serve at the Mexican Open in Acapulco during his match with Rafael Nadal.

2019: Davis Cup Finals

In 2019, Kyrgios was initially left out of the Davis Cup team but later re-added and won his singles matches against Colombia and Belgium. He withdrew from the quarter-finals due to injury, and Australia lost the tie against Canada.

2019: Mexican Open Victory and Miami Open

In 2019, Nick Kyrgios won the Mexican Open in Acapulco, securing his fifth title. He later competed in the Miami Open, where he won against Dusan Lajovic.

February 2020: Return to Top 20

In February 2020, Nick Kyrgios returned to the Top 20 in the rankings.

2020: ATP Cup Matches

In 2020, Kyrgios participated in the ATP Cup in Brisbane and Sydney, winning singles matches against Jan-Lennard Struff, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Cameron Norrie, and a doubles match with Alex de Minaur. He lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in the semi-finals.

2020: Coaching Offers

In 2020, Kyrgios received coaching offers from John McEnroe.

2020: Year-End Singles Ranking

In 2020, Nick Kyrgios concluded the year with a singles ranking of No. 45.

2020: Bushfire Relief Donations

In 2020, Nick Kyrgios pledged to donate $200 for every ace he served during the summer to support bushfire relief, which inspired other Australian tennis players and led to a fundraising exhibition match before the Australian Open, raising almost $5 million.

2021: McEnroe wishes to coach Kyrgios

During the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, John McEnroe stated that if he could choose any player to coach, he would pick Kyrgios.

2021: Season Ended Early Due to Injury

In 2021, Australia was eliminated in the Davis Cup, and Kyrgios ended his season early due to a knee injury.

2021: Year-End Singles Ranking

In 2021, Nick Kyrgios ended the year with a singles ranking of 93.

January 2022: Australian Open Doubles Title

In January 2022, Nick Kyrgios, partnering with Thanasi Kokkinakis, won the Australian Open men's doubles title as a wildcard pairing, marking a significant achievement in his career.

June 2022: Underarm Serve Controversy

In June 2022, Kyrgios defended his use of the underarm serve at Wimbledon, citing his struggles against Nadal as the reason for adopting it. Nadal criticized it for lacking respect.

2022: Djokovic's Respect

After beating Kyrgios in the 2022 Wimbledon final, Novak Djokovic expressed his respect for Kyrgios, calling him a phenomenal tennis player and athlete.

2022: Featured in Break Point

In 2022 Kyrgios featured in the tennis docuseries Break Point, which highlighted his road to the Wimbledon final.

2022: Australian Open Doubles Win

In 2022, Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis, who have been friends since childhood, won the Australian Open doubles and made successful runs in Miami, the US Open and the ATP Finals.

2022: Wimbledon Performance

In 2022, Kyrgios produced some of the best performances of his career at Wimbledon and said after losing to Djokovic in the final that his level is right there.

2022: 2022 Season Highlights

In 2022, Kyrgios reached the fourth round in Miami, and also the semifinals in Houston, Stuttgart and Halle.

2022: Ankle Injury

In 2022, Kyrgios was unavailable for Davis Cup due to overplaying and an ankle injury. Australia reached the finals but lost.

2022: Year-End Rankings

In 2022, Nick Kyrgios ended the year ranked No. 22 in singles and No. 13 in doubles, achieving his highest end-of-year doubles ranking.

2022: Wimbledon Championships Run

In 2022, Nick Kyrgios had a controversial run at the Wimbledon Championships, reaching his first major final after Rafael Nadal withdrew, eventually losing to Novak Djokovic.

January 13, 2023: Netflix's Break Point Premiere

On January 13, 2023, Kyrgios appeared in the tennis docuseries Break Point on Netflix, which highlighted his grand slam doubles title journey and his struggles with mental health.

December 2023: Piers Morgan Uncensored Guest

In December 2023, Kyrgios appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored, discussing mental health, conflicts, racism, and his return to tennis.

2023: Davis Cup Finals Loss

In 2023, Australia reached the Davis Cup finals again but lost.

2023: Appeared in Australia's Open Documentary

In 2023, Kyrgios appeared in the documentary Australia's Open, which premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

2023: Broadcasting Debut

In 2023, Kyrgios made his broadcasting debut as a guest commentator on Tennis Channel for the ATP Finals.

2023: Ankle Injury and Surgery

In 2023, Kyrgios was chosen for the United Cup but couldn't play due to an ankle injury and later had major knee surgery.

November 2024: Return to Tour Announcement

In November 2024, Nick Kyrgios announced his return to the tour, starting with the World Tennis League event in Abu Dhabi in December 2024.

November 2024: Davis Cup Discussions

In November 2024, Team Captain Lleyton Hewitt resumed discussions with Kyrgios about playing in Davis Cup, with Kyrgios hoping to play after full recovery.

December 2024: Media Re-Assessment After Wrist Surgery

Since his return in December 2024 after experimental wrist surgery, the media are re-assessing Kyrgios' future based on a good performance at the Brisbane International. He remains a popular drawcard at live events.

2024: BBC Wimbledon Commentator

In 2024, Kyrgios became a commentator and analyst for the BBC at Wimbledon, receiving positive feedback for his coverage.

2024: Launched "Good Trouble" Interview Series

In 2024, Kyrgios launched a celebrity-interview series named Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios, sponsored by Naomi Osaka's company Hana Kuma, featuring guests like Mike Tyson and Novak Djokovic.

2024: ESPN Debut

In 2024, Kyrgios made his ESPN debut commentating the Australian Open.

2024: Commentary Role and Surgery

In 2024, Nick Kyrgios became a commentator for BBC and ESPN due to his wrist injury, which required surgery to manage the pain and arthritis.

2024: US Open Reporter and Co-Commentator

In 2024, Nick Kyrgios worked as a reporter and co-commentator for ESPN at the US Open. He revealed ESPN instructed him not to interview Jannik Sinner.