by Nick Kyrgios is not Jannik Sinner’s biggest fan after calling for the world number one to be banned following his two positive drug tests.
At the Indian Wells Masters in March, Sinner was found to have small traces of the anabolic steroid Clostebol in his body.
As a result, the 23-year-old lost the ranking points and prize money he earned at the Masters 1000 event, but was allowed to continue playing while the investigation was ongoing.
This was a controversial decision and Kyrgios was the most vocal about Jannik Sinner receiving a penalty.
But before the news stunned the tennis world, Kyrgios and Sinner seemed to have a good relationship, which was evident at the Australian Open.
What did Nick Kyrgios say to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open 2024?
Nick Kyrgios, who did not play at the 2024 Australian Open, was part of the media team and was seen conducting some on-court interviews after the players finished their matches.
Sinner won the first Grand Slam title of his career when he came from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 at Melbourne Park.
After the game, Kyrgios said to the Italian: “Hey, Jannik, well done. Grand Slam champion. My question to you is, how much can I pay you as a coach so that I can win a Grand Slam?”
To which Sinner replied: “Tough question, Nick! I might do it for you for free. What is certain is that everyone misses you. You’re the type of player you don’t see that often.
“Your style of play and your behavior on the pitch are different. We need players like that. I hope you come back. I miss you.
“We ran a bit before my second round game and it felt great to see you. I hope to see you again as soon as possible, besides you are a potential Grand Slam champion and I think you know that.”
Nick Kyrgios targeted Jannik Sinner after positive drug tests
Any friendship between Kyrgios and Sinner now appears to be on the rocks following the 29-year-old’s comments about the two-time Grand Slam champion.
For example, he responded to a fan’s tweet in which he agreed that Sinner should be banned after defeating Novak Djokovic and winning the Shanghai Masters.
When Sinner competed at the US Open, he was asked if he would be interviewed by Kyrgios after Kyrgios made comments about him, and he didn’t reveal much.
“I don’t know. I don’t want to respond to what he said,” he replied. “Anyone can say anything. It’s fine. If that’s the case, let’s see. It will be different for sure (laughs).
“I don’t know what to say. Maybe I say something every now and then and the reaction is different. I’m always very relaxed. I’m someone who forgets things pretty quickly. Everyone is free to say anything. It is what it is.”
When will Nick Kyrgios play tennis again?
Kyrgios’ outspoken nature means he’s never far from the headlines, but he hasn’t been making much headlines on the pitch lately.
This is because the 2022 Australian Open doubles winner has not played since his loss to Wu Yibing at the Stuttgart Open in June 2023.
He has played just one competitive game since 2022 after struggling with knee and wrist injuries, but he appears ready for a return.
In fact, Kyrgios wants to start the 2025 season in front of his home fans at the Australian Open. “I’m going to play in the Australian Open this summer,” he told a panel at SXSW (South By Southwest) in Sydney.
“I just miss playing in front of my home crowd. We have so many people like Alex de Minaur playing fantastic tennis at the moment.”
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