Do we like Nick Kyrgios?
Our score: 5 out of 10. No harmful words about LGBTQ+ people turned up, but there is a guilty plea, a few stunts that irked women's tennis, and genuine charity work.
Kyrgios is the Canberra-raised bad boy who made the 2022 Wimbledon final and lost it to Novak Djokovic. He has spent a career being as famous for his mouth as for his serve. By 2026 he is a part-time player, mostly doubles, with plenty of chat about retiring.
The July 2026 Wimbledon doubles loss is vintage Nick. He swore at the umpire and said “you can fine me, I honestly don't even care.” The report says no fine was confirmed for that match, though he copped three fines at the 2022 Championships. Fun for some, tiresome for others, and not harmful in itself.
The serious stain is from 2023. He pleaded guilty in a Canberra court to assaulting an ex-girlfriend after a row in January 2021, and the magistrate dismissed the charge without recording a conviction. Afterwards he said “I know it wasn't OK and I'm sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused.” One incident, admitted and apologised for, but it can't be waved away.
The harm check comes up mostly clean. No anti-LGBTQ+ remarks, climate denial or migrant-bashing turned up in what I read. In 2021 he said mandatory vaccination was “morally wrong” and called for the Australian Open to be cancelled, then rowed back and said he was double-vaccinated. The asterisk is the December 2025 Battle of the Sexes against Aryna Sabalenka, which he won 6-3, 6-3. Critics said it was a bad look for women's tennis and pointed to his assault case. He said the backlash was just giving it more attention.
He has also been relentless on the Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek doping cases, calling them “disgusting for our sport” in late 2024. He says he's defending the integrity of the game. Plenty of people reckon he's piling on, so where you land depends on whether you read it as principle or pile-on.
The good stuff is real. In the 2020 bushfires he pledged $200 for every ace he hit and asked Tennis Australia to hold a fundraising exhibition. He served 20 aces in one match, which meant $4,000. When he wrongly accused a Wimbledon fan of being drunk, he apologised and gave £20,000 to a children's hospital charity as part of the settlement.