By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, October 24, 2024
Photo credit: Corleve/Mark Peterson
Facing Nick Kyrgios in Madrid, Roger Federer famously observed "We need a clown for this circus."
When it comes to clowns, Nick Kyrgios is in a class by himself, two Russian standouts said.
Asked their views on the explosive Aussie's comeback, Elena Vesnina and Nikolay Davydenko issued blistering tag-team takedown calling Kyrgios "an overrated clown" in an interview with BetBoomTennis.
The 29-year-old Kyrgios announced his aim to launch his comeback at an exo in December in preparation for playing the 2025 Australian Open.
Former world No. 3 Davydenko, who captured 21 titles including a crushing conquest of Rafa Nadal in the 2008 Miami Open final, dismissed Kyrgios as an "overrated", injury-prone player whose results failed to match his hype.
"He is generally overrated," Davydenko told BetBoom Tennis. "When it was time to play, he was always injured. In short, let’s forget about him."
Vesnina, the 2017 Indian Wells champion and former Wimbledon semifinalist, ripped Kyrgios as "a clown." though she also praised him as a supremely talented player, who often came up short in Slams.
"Clown, I agree," Vesnina said. "But he was incredibly talented and gifted. He had a powerful serve and a superb forehand. But when it came to winning a major title, all that went up in smoke."
Perhaps the disrespect will add fuel to Kyrgios' competitive fire.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist says he believes he can win a Grand Slam singles title and knows mastering a major is the only way to quiet his critics.
In fact, Kyrgios announced two main missions ahead of his comeback: Win a Slam title and silence skeptics.
“I am coming back because something is keeping me around the game,” Kyrgios told Australia’s News Corp Code Sports. “I have beaten pretty much every person that has been put in front of me, made a final of a Grand Slam, won a doubles title in a Grand Slam, won multiple titles and made money.
“But I think the one thing that is now on my target is a Grand Slam. I think that will be the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day.”
Will Kyrgios have the last laugh? Only time and his performance will tell.